U.S. patent application number 17/488123 was filed with the patent office on 2022-01-27 for methods of screening for microorganisms that impart beneficial properties to plants.
This patent application is currently assigned to BioConsortia New Zealand Limited. The applicant listed for this patent is BioConsortia New Zealand Limited. Invention is credited to Caroline George, Susan Turner, Peter Wigley.
Application Number | 20220025357 17/488123 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005885219 |
Filed Date | 2022-01-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220025357 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wigley; Peter ; et
al. |
January 27, 2022 |
METHODS OF SCREENING FOR MICROORGANISMS THAT IMPART BENEFICIAL
PROPERTIES TO PLANTS
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods for the screening,
identification and/or application of microorganisms and/or
compositions of use in imparting beneficial properties to plants,
and microorganisms and compositions identified therefrom.
Inventors: |
Wigley; Peter; (Parnell,
NZ) ; Turner; Susan; (Davis, CA) ; George;
Caroline; (Parnell, NZ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BioConsortia New Zealand Limited |
Parnell |
|
NZ |
|
|
Assignee: |
BioConsortia New Zealand
Limited
Parnell
NZ
|
Family ID: |
1000005885219 |
Appl. No.: |
17/488123 |
Filed: |
September 28, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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17141494 |
Jan 5, 2021 |
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17488123 |
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15795023 |
Oct 26, 2017 |
10900029 |
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17141494 |
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14429233 |
Mar 18, 2015 |
9809812 |
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PCT/NZ2013/000171 |
Sep 19, 2013 |
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15795023 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01N 63/27 20200101;
A01N 63/00 20130101; A01N 63/28 20200101; C12N 1/20 20130101; A01N
63/20 20200101; A01N 63/30 20200101; A01N 63/36 20200101; C12N
15/1058 20130101; A01H 3/00 20130101; A01N 63/22 20200101 |
International
Class: |
C12N 15/10 20060101
C12N015/10; C12N 1/20 20060101 C12N001/20; A01N 63/30 20060101
A01N063/30; A01N 63/36 20060101 A01N063/36; A01N 63/20 20060101
A01N063/20; A01N 63/22 20060101 A01N063/22; A01N 63/27 20060101
A01N063/27; A01N 63/28 20060101 A01N063/28; A01N 63/00 20060101
A01N063/00; A01H 3/00 20060101 A01H003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 19, 2012 |
NZ |
602532 |
Claims
61. A method for the selection of one or more microorganisms
capable of improving resistance or tolerance of one or more plants
to an abiotic stressor, the method comprising the steps of: a)
subjecting one or more plants to a growth medium in the presence of
a first set of one or more microorganisms, wherein the growth
medium comprises the abiotic stressor; b) selecting one or more
plant parts from the one or more plants of step a), wherein the
selection is based on increased resistance or tolerance of the one
or more plants to the abiotic stressor; c) acquiring a second set
of one or more microorganisms from said one or more plant parts
selected in step b); and d) repeating steps a) to c) one or more
times, wherein the second set of one or more microorganisms
acquired in step c) is used as the first set of microorganisms in
step a) of any successive repeat.
62. The method according to claim 61, wherein the step of
subjecting one or more plants to a growth medium involves growing
or multiplying the plant.
63. The method according to claim 61, wherein one or more plants
are subjected to a growth medium in the presence of the first set
of microorganisms.
64. The method according to claim 61, wherein the abiotic stressor
is drought or heat.
65. The method according to claim 61, wherein the abiotic stressor
is the presence of a metal or salt.
66. The method according to claim 61, wherein a composition
conferring abiotic stress is in the growth medium.
67. The method according to claim 4, wherein different selection
criteria are used in different iterations of the method.
68. The method according to claim 61, wherein the second set of one
or more microorganisms are acquired in crude form.
69. The method according to claim 61, wherein two or more
microorganisms are acquired in step c), and the method further
comprises separating the two or more microorganisms into individual
isolates, selecting two or more individual isolates, and then
combining the selected two or more individual isolates.
70. The method according claim 69, wherein the combined isolates
are used as the first set of one or more microorganisms in step a)
of any successive repeat of the method.
71. The method according to claim 61, wherein two or more methods
of the invention may be performed separately and the second set of
one or more microorganisms acquired in step c) of each separate
method are combined.
72. The method according to claim 71, wherein the combined
microorganisms are used as the first set of one or more
microorganisms in step a) of any successive repeat of the
method.
73. The method according to claim 61, wherein plant material is
used as the source of microorganisms for step a).
74. The method according to claim 61, wherein the method selects
for one or more unculturable microorganisms or one or more
endophytes.
75. A method for the production of a composition to support plant
growth, quality, and/or health, the method comprising the method of
claim 61, and the additional step of combining the one or more
microorganisms selected by the method with one or more additional
ingredients.
76. A method for the production of a composition to suppress or
inhibit the growth, quality, and/or health of a plant, the method
comprising the method of claim 61, and the additional step of
combining the one or more microorganisms selected by the method
with one or more additional ingredients.
77. A method for the selection of a composition which is capable of
improving resistance or tolerance of one or more plants to a pest
or pathogen, the method comprising at least the steps of: a)
culturing one or more microorganisms selected by the method of
claim 61 in one or more medias to provide one or more cultures; b)
separating the one or more microorganisms from the one or more
medias in the one or more cultures after a period of time to
provide one or more compositions substantially free of
microorganisms; c) subjecting one or more plants to the one or more
compositions of step b); and d) selecting one or more compositions
from step c) if it is observed to impart improved resistance or
tolerance of the one or more plants of step c) to said pest or
pathogen.
78. A method for the selection of a composition which is capable of
imparting resistance or tolerance of the one or more plants to a
pest or pathogen, the method comprising at least the steps of: a)
culturing one or more microorganisms selected by the method of
claim 61 in one or more medias to form one or more cultures; b)
inactivating the one or more cultures of step a) to provide one or
more compositions containing one or more inactivated
microorganisms; c) subjecting one or more plants to the one or more
compositions of step b); and d) selecting one or more compositions
from step c) if it is observed to impart improved resistance or
tolerance of the one or more plants of step c) to said pest or
pathogen.
79. A method for the selection of one or more microorganisms which
are capable of producing a composition which is capable of
improving resistance or tolerance of one or more plants to a pest
or pathogen, the method comprising at least the steps of: a)
culturing one or more microorganisms selected by the method of
claim 61 in one or more medias to provide one or more cultures; b)
separating the one or more microorganisms from the one or more
medias in the one or more cultures from step a) to provide one or
more compositions substantially free of microorganisms; c)
subjecting one or more plants to the one or more composition from
step b); and d) selecting the one or more microorganisms associated
with one or more compositions observed to impart improved
resistance or tolerance to said pest or pathogen to the one or more
plants.
80. A method for the selection of one or more microorganisms which
are capable of producing a composition which is capable of
improving resistance or tolerance of one or more plants to a pest
or pathogen, the method comprising at least the steps of: a)
culturing one or more microorganisms selected by the method of
claim 61 in one or more medias to provide one or more cultures; b)
inactivating the one or more cultures of step a) to provide one or
more compositions containing one or more inactivated
microorganisms; c) subjecting one or more plants to the one or more
compositions of step b); and d) selecting the one or more
microorganisms associated with one or more compositions observed to
impart improved resistance or tolerance to said pest or pathogen to
the one or more plants.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuing Application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 17/141,494, filed Jan. 5, 2021, which is a
Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/795,023,
filed Oct. 26, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,900,029, which is a
Continuation Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/429,233,
filed on Mar. 18, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,809,812, which claims
the benefit of priority to International Application
PCT/NZ2013/000171, filed Sep. 19, 2013, which in turn claims the
benefit of foreign priority to New Zealand Provisional Application
602532, filed Sep. 19, 2012, each of which is herein incorporated
by reference in its entirety f or all purposes.
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to methods for the screening,
identification and/or application of microorganisms of use in
imparting beneficial properties to plants.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Known processes of imparting beneficial properties to
plants, such as selective breeding, can be extremely costly, slow,
limited in scope and fraught with regulatory difficulties. Few
commercial successes have eventuated from over two decades of
large-scale investment into this technology.
[0004] Despite many decades of successful scientific research into
the conventional breeding of highly-productive crops and into
development of transgenic crops, relatively little research effort
has been directed at development of plant traits via other means.
Bibliographic details of the publications referred to herein are
collected at the end of the description.
OBJECT
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
for the selection of one or more microorganism and/or composition
which is of use in imparting one or more beneficial property to a
plant which overcomes or ameliorates at least one of the
disadvantages of known methods. Alternatively it is an object of
the invention to provide a method and/or system for assisting in
the improvement of one or more plants. Alternatively, it is an
object to at least provide the public with a useful choice.
STATEMENT OF INVENTION
[0006] In a first broad aspect of the present invention there is
provided a method for the selection of one or more microorganisms
capable of imparting one or more beneficial property to a plant,
the method comprising at least the steps of: [0007] a) subjecting
one or more plant (including for example seeds, seedlings,
cuttings, and/or propagules thereof) to a growth medium in the
presence of a first set of one or more microorganisms; [0008] b)
selecting one or more plant following step a); [0009] c) acquiring
a second set of one or more microorganisms associated with said one
or more plant selected in step b); [0010] d) repeating steps a) to
c) one or more times, wherein the second set of one or more
microorganisms acquired in step c) is used as the first set of
microorganisms in step a) of any successive repeat.
[0011] In one embodiment, the second set of one or more
microorganisms are isolated from said one or more plant in step
c).
[0012] In one embodiment, the first set of one or more
microorganisms and/or the second set of one or more microorganisms
are selected from the microorganisms detailed herein after.
[0013] In one embodiment, the growth medium is selected from the
growth media detailed herein after.
[0014] In one embodiment, the step of subjecting one or more plant
to a growth medium involves growing or multiplying the plant.
[0015] In one embodiment, two or more plants are subjected to a
growth medium in the presence of one or more microorganisms. In
other embodiments 10 to 20 plants are subjected to a growth medium
in the presence of the first set of microorganisms. In other
embodiments, 20 or more, 100 or more, 300 or more, 500 or more, or
1000 or more plants are subjected to a growth medium in the
presence of the first set of microorganisms.
[0016] In one embodiment, the one or more plant is selected on the
basis of one or more selection criterion. In one embodiment, the
one or more plant is selected on the basis of one or more
phenotypic trait. In one preferred embodiment, the one or more
plant is selected based on the presence of a desirable phenotypic
trait. In one embodiment, the phenotypic trait is one of those
detailed herein after. In one embodiment, the one or more plant is
selected on the basis of one or more genotypic trait. In one
preferred embodiment, the one or more plant is selected based on
the presence of a desirable genotypic trait. In one embodiment, the
one or more plant is selected based on a combination of one or more
genotypic and one or more phenotypic traits. In one embodiment,
different selection criteria may be used in different iterations of
a method of the invention.
[0017] In one embodiment, the second set of one or more
microorganisms are isolated from the root, stem and/or foliar
(including reproductive) tissue of the one or more plants selected.
Alternatively, the second set of one or more microorganisms are
isolated from whole plant tissue of the one or mom plants selected.
In another embodiment, the plant tissues may be surface sterilised
and then one or more microorganisms isolated from any tissue of the
one or more plants. This embodiment allows for the targeted
selection of endophytic microorganisms. In another embodiment, the
second set of one or more microorganisms may be isolated from the
growth medium surrounding selected plants.
[0018] In another embodiment, the second set of one or more
microorganisms are acquired in crude form.
[0019] In one embodiment, the one or more microorganisms are
acquired in step c) any time after germination.
[0020] In one embodiment, where two or more microorganisms are
acquired in step c), the method further comprises the steps of
separating the two or more microorganisms into individual isolates,
selecting two or more individual isolates, and then combining the
selected two or more isolates.
[0021] In another embodiment, the method further comprises
repeating steps a) to c) one or more times, wherein where two or
more microorganisms are acquired in step c), the two or more
microorganisms are separated into individual isolates, two or more
individual isolates are selected and then combined, and the
combined isolates are used as the first set of one or more
microorganism in step a) of the successive repeat. Accordingly,
where reference is made to using the one or more microorganisms
acquired in step c) in step a) of the method, it should be taken to
include using the combined isolates of this embodiment of the
invention.
[0022] In another embodiment, two or more methods of the invention
may be performed separately and the second set of one or more
microorganisms acquired in step c) of each separate method
combined. In one embodiment, the combined microorganisms are used
as the first set of one or more microorganisms in step a) of any
successive repeat of the method of the invention.
[0023] In one embodiment, the methods of the first aspect of the
invention may also be useful in identifying and/or selecting one or
more endophytic microorganism capable of imparting one or more
beneficial property to a plant.
[0024] In one embodiment, plant material (including for example
seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof) may be used
as the source of microorganisms for step a). In a preferred
embodiment, the plant material used as a source for microorganisms
in step a) is seed material. Preferably, the plant material is
surface sterilised.
[0025] In another embodiment, the methods of the first aspect of
the invention may be useful in identifying and/or selecting one or
more unculturable microorganism capable of imparting one or more
beneficial property to a plant. In this embodiment, plant material
(including for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or
propagules thereof) may be used as the source of microorganisms for
step a). In a preferred embodiment, the plant material used as a
source for microorganisms in step a) is explant material (for
example, plant cuttings). Preferably, the plant material is surface
sterilised.
[0026] In a second broad aspect, there is provided a method for
assisting in the improvement of one or more plants according to a
method as herein described, comprising arranging for the evaluation
of said plant(s) in the presence of one or mom microorganisms
and/or compositions. The method preferably comprises at least the
steps of a method of the first, seventh (and/or related) aspect,
and/or the eighth (and/or related) aspect of the invention.
[0027] According to one embodiment, the plant(s) are for growing in
a first region. The microorganism(s) may or may not for at least to
a significant extent) be present in the first region.
[0028] "Region" and "first region" are to be interpreted broadly as
meaning one or more areas of land. The land areas may be defined by
geographical/political/private land boundaries or by land areas
having similar properties such as climate, soil properties,
presence of a particular pest etc.
[0029] Preferably, the evaluation is performed in a second region
in which the microorganism(s) are present, but this is in no way
essential. Microorganisms may be obtained from other sources
including microorganism depositaries and artificially associated
with plant material and/or soil. Furthermore, while plant(s) may be
cultivated in essentially a conventional manner but in a region
having microorganisms not normally associated with the plant(s), at
least in the first region, artificial growing environments may
alternatively be used as would be appreciated by those skilled in
the art. Thus, possible beneficial microorganism/plant
relationships may be identified that would not necessarily normally
be utilised.
[0030] Preferably, the step of arranging comprises arranging for
one or more of: [0031] receipt or transmission of an identity of
one or more plants or plant types to be evaluated; [0032] receipt
or transmission of plant material from one or more plants or plant
types to be evaluated; [0033] identification and/or selection of
the microorganism(s) and/or composition(s); [0034] acquisition of
the microorganism(s) and/or composition(s); and [0035] associating
the microorganism(s) and/or composition(s) with the plant
material.
[0036] Preferably, the method comprises evaluating (or arranging
for said evaluation of) said plant(s) in the presence of said
microorganism(s) and/or composition(s).
[0037] The step of evaluating preferably comprises performing one
or more of the steps of a method described hemin, in particular
embodiments a method of one or mom of the first aspect, seventh
(and/or related) aspect or eighth (and/or related) aspect of the
invention.
[0038] The various steps identified above may be performed by a
single entity although it is preferred that at least two parties
are involved, a first which makes a request and a second which
actions the request. Note that various agents may act for one or
both parties and that varying levels of automation may be used. For
example, in response to a particular request the microorganism(s)
may be selected by a processor querying a database based on known
microorganism associations for that or similar plant(s) with little
or no input required from an operator.
[0039] Furthermore, the evaluation may be performed by the
requesting party and/or in the first region. Performing the
evaluation in the first region better ensures that the evaluation
is accurate and that no unforeseen environmental factors that may
impact on the plant(s) or the microorganism(s) are not
considered.
[0040] Following the evaluation or during the course thereof, the
method preferably further comprises one or more of: [0041]
receiving or sending one or more microorganisms (or at least the
identity thereof) and/or composition(s) to the first region,
including in combination with plant material; and [0042] growing
said plant(s) or other plants (preferably having similar
properties) in the first region in the presence of said
microorganism(s) and/or composition(s).
[0043] The method of the second aspect may be embodied by a first
party: [0044] identifying a need for an improvement in a plant(s);
[0045] sending the identity thereof and/or relevant plant material
to a second party together with any relevant information, and
[0046] receiving plant material and/or one or more microorganisms
and/or the identities thereof and/or composition(s).
[0047] The step of receiving is preferably performed following or
as a result of an assessment of plant/microorganism and/or
plant/composition associations. Preferably, the assessment is made
using a method as described herein, in particular embodiments a
method of the first aspect, the seventh (and/or related) aspect or
the eighth (and/or related) aspect.
[0048] The method of the second aspect may additionally or
alternatively be embodied by a second party: [0049] receiving an
identity of a plant(s) and/or relevant plant material from a first
party together with any relevant information, and [0050] sending
plant material and/or one or more microorganism(s) and/or the
identities thereof and/or composition(s) to the first party.
[0051] The step of sending is preferably performed following or as
a result of an assessment of plant/microorganism and/or
plant/composition associations. Preferably, the assessment is made
using a method described herein, in particular embodiments a method
of the first aspect, the seventh (and/or related) aspect or the
eighth (and/or related) aspect.
[0052] According to a third aspect, there is provided a system for
implementing the method of the second aspect.
[0053] The system of the third aspect preferably includes one or
more of: [0054] means for receiving or transmitting an identity of
one or mom plants or plant types to be evaluated; [0055] means for
receiving or transmitting plant material from one or more plants or
plant types to be evaluated; [0056] means for identifying and/or
selecting microorganism(s) and/or composition(s); [0057] means for
acquiring the microorganism(s) and/or composition(s); [0058] means
for associating the microorganism(s) and/or composition(s) with the
plant material; [0059] means for evaluating said plant(s) in the
presence of said microorganism(s) and/or composition(s); [0060]
means for receiving or sending one or more microorganisms (or at
least the identity thereof) and/or composition(s) to the first
region, including in combination with plant material; and [0061]
means for growing said plant(s) or other plants (preferably having
similar properties) in the first region in the presence of said
microorganism(s) and/or composition(s).
[0062] Means known to those skilled in the art may be used to
provide the functionality required in the system of the third
aspect. For example, conventional communication means, including
the internet, may be used to convey the identities of
plants/microorganisms; conventional carrier means may be used to
convey the plant material/microorganisms/composition(s);
conventional means and processes may be used to associate a
microorganism and/or composition with plant material and
conventional means for evaluating said plant(s) and/or the
plant/microorganism and/or plant/composition associations may be
used.
[0063] According to a preferred embodiment, the system of the
invention is embodied by a facility configured to transmit
request(s) for an improvement in a plant(s) and subsequently to
receive plant material and/or one or more microorganisms and/or the
identities thereof, preferably following or as a result of an
assessment of plant/microorganism associations. Preferably, the
assessment is made using a method described herein, in particular
embodiments a method of the first aspect, the seventh (and/or
related) aspect, or the eighth (and/or related) aspect.
[0064] The system of the second aspect may additionally or
alternatively be embodied by a facility configured to receive an
identity of a plant(s) and/or relevant plant material from together
with any relevant information; and send plant material and/or one
or more microorganisms and/or the identities thereof and/or
composition(s), preferably following or as a result of an
assessment of plant/microorganism or plant/composition
associations. Preferably, the assessment is made using a method
described herein, in particular embodiments a method of the first
aspect, the seventh (and/or related) aspect or the eighth (and/or
related) aspect.
[0065] Accordingly to a fourth broad aspect of the invention, there
is provided a microorganism acquired, selected or isolated by a
method as herein before described. In one embodiment, the
microorganism is an endophyte. In one embodiment, the microorganism
is unculturable.
[0066] In a fifth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided
a method for the production of a composition to support plant
growth, quality and/or health or a composition to suppress or
inhibit the growth, quality and/or health of a plant, the method
comprising the steps of a method herein before described and the
additional step of combining the one or more microorganisms
selected by the method with one or more additional ingredients.
[0067] In a sixth broad aspect of the invention, there is provided
a composition comprising one or more microorganism of the fourth
broad aspect or as prepared by a method of the fifth broad
aspect.
[0068] In a seventh broad aspect of the invention there is provided
a method for the selection of a composition which is capable of
imparting one or more beneficial property to a plant, the method
comprising at least the steps of: [0069] a) culturing one or more
microorganisms selected by a method of the first aspect of the
invention in one or more media to provide one or more culture;
[0070] b) separating the one or more microorganism from the one or
more media in the one or more culture after a period of time to
provide one or more composition substantially free of
microorganisms; [0071] c) subjecting one or more plant (including
for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof)
to the one or more composition of step b); [0072] d) selecting one
or more composition from step c) if it is observed to impart one or
more beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0073] In an aspect of the invention related to (but distinct from)
the seventh broad aspect of the invention there is provided a
method for the selection of a composition which is capable of
imparting one or more beneficial property to a plant, the method
comprising at least the steps of: [0074] a) culturing one or more
microorganisms selected by a method of the first aspect of the
invention in one or more media to form one or more culture; [0075]
b) inactivating the one or more culture of step a) to provide one
or more composition containing one or more inactivated
microorganisms; [0076] c) subjecting one or more plant (including
for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof)
to the one or more composition of step b); [0077] d) selecting one
or more composition from step c) if it is observed to impart one or
more beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0078] In an eighth broad aspect of the invention there is provided
a method for the selection of one or more microorganisms which are
capable of producing a composition which is capable of imparting
one or more beneficial property to a plant, the method comprising
at least the steps of: [0079] a) culturing one or more
microorganism selected by a method of the first aspect of the
invention in one or more media to provide one or more culture;
[0080] b) separating the one or more microorganism from the one or
more media in the one or more culture from step a) after a period
of time to provide one or more composition substantially free of
microorganisms; [0081] c) subjecting one or more plant (including
for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof)
to the one or more composition from step b); [0082] d) selecting
the one or more microorganisms associated with (or in other words
used to produce the) one or more composition observed to impart one
or more beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0083] In an aspect related to (but distinct from) the eighth broad
aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the
selection of one or more microorganisms which are capable of
producing a composition which is capable of imparting one or more
beneficial property to a plant, the method comprising at least the
steps of: [0084] a) culturing one or more microorganism in one or
more media to provide one or more culture; [0085] b) separating the
one or more microorganism from the one or more media in one or more
culture after a period of time to provide one or more composition
substantially free of microorganisms; [0086] c) subjecting one or
more plant (including for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings,
and/or propagules thereof) to the one or more composition of step
b); [0087] d) selecting the one or more microorganisms associated
with (or in other words used to produce the) one or more
composition observed to impart one or more beneficial property to
the one or more plants; and, [0088] e) using the one or more
microorganisms selected in step d) in step a) of a method of the
first, eighth or ninth aspects of the invention.
[0089] In a related aspect, step b) of the method of the eighth
(and/or related) aspect could be substituted with the step of b)
inactivating the one or more culture of step a) to provide one or
more composition containing one or more inactivated microorganisms,
and then using this composition in step c) of the process.
[0090] It should be appreciated that the methods of the first,
seventh (and/or related) and eighth (and/or related) aspects may be
combined in any combination, including the methods being run
concurrently or sequentially in any number of iterations, with
compositions and/or microorganisms selected or isolated from the
methods being used individually or combined and used in iterative
rounds of any one of the methods. By way of example, a method of
the seventh (and/or related) aspect may be performed and a
composition selected. The selection of a composition indicates that
the one or more microorganism separated from the media in step b)
is desirable for imparting beneficial properties to the one or more
plant (as the one or more microorganism is capable of producing a
selected composition). The one or more microorganism may then be
used in another round of a method of the first aspect, seventh
(and/or related) aspect or eighth (and/or related) aspect.
Alternatively, the combination of methods could be run in reverse.
This could be repeated any number of times in any order and
combination. Accordingly the invention provides for the use of one
or more microorganism, composition or plant acquired, selected or
isolated by a method of the invention in any other method of the
invention.
[0091] In a ninth broad aspect of the invention there is provided a
composition obtained as a result of the methods of the seventh
(and/or related) or eighth (and/or related) broad aspects of the
invention.
[0092] In a tenth broad aspect of the invention there is provided a
combination of two or more microorganisms acquired, selected or
isolated by a method as herein before described.
[0093] In another aspect, the invention provides the use of one or
more composition and/or microorganism acquired, selected or
isolated by a method of the invention for imparting one or more
beneficial property to one or more plant.
[0094] It should be appreciated that methods of the invention may
also involve applying steps a) to d) of the method of the first
aspect on two or more different species of plant so as to identify
combinations of microorganisms that may impart a positive benefit
to one species and a negative benefit to another species
simultaneously. For example, one may wish to identify a group of
microorganisms that may simultaneously improve the growth and
survival of a food crop and suppress or inhibit the growth of a
competing crop or weed. This may be achieved by using two or more
different plant species in step a) or running separate methods on
different species and at appropriate points combining the
microorganisms acquired in those methods and conducting further
iterations.
[0095] The invention also provides plants selected in a method of
the invention.
[0096] The invention also provides the use of a method of the
invention in a plant breeding programme, and a plant breeding
programme comprising conducting a method of the invention.
[0097] In another aspect, the invention provides a composition
comprising one or more of the microorganisms listed in table 4. In
one embodiment, the one or more microorganisms are endophytes.
[0098] In another aspect, the invention provides a composition
comprising one or more microorganisms listed in table 3.
[0099] In another aspect, the invention provides a composition
comprising one or more microorganisms listed in table 2.
[0100] In another aspect, the invention provides for the use of one
or more microorganism listed in table 4 or a composition comprising
same for increasing plant biomass. In one 25 embodiment, the plant
is maize. In one embodiment, the one or more microorganisms are
endophytic.
[0101] In another aspect, the invention provides for the use of one
or more microorganisms listed in table 3 or a composition
comprising same for increasing carbohydrate concentrations in one
or more plant. In one embodiment, the one or more plant is
basil.
[0102] In another aspect, the invention provides for the use of one
or more microorganisms listed in table 2 or a composition
comprising same for increasing plant biomass. In one embodiment,
the one or more plant is rye grass.
[0103] The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the
parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the
specification of the application, individually or collectively, in
any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or
features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which
have known equivalents in the art to which the invention relates,
such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if
individually set forth.
FIGURES
[0104] These and other aspects of the present invention, which
should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent
from the following description, which is given by way of example
only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0105] FIG. 1: shows a system according to an embodiment of the
invention;
[0106] FIG. 2: shows the process flow of a method of an embodiment
of the invention.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[0107] The following is a description of the preferred forms of the
present invention given in general terms. The invention will be
further elucidated from the Examples provided hereafter.
[0108] The inventor(s) have found that one can readily identify
microorganisms capable of imparting one or more beneficial property
to one or more plants through use of a method of the invention. The
method is broadly based on the presence of variability (such as
genetic variability, or variability in the phenotype for example)
in the plants and microbial populations used. The inventors have
identified that this variability can be used to support a directed
process of selection of one or mom microorganisms of use to a plant
and for identifying particular plant/microbe combinations which are
of benefit for a particular purpose, and which may never have been
recognised using conventional techniques.
[0109] The methods of the invention may be used as a part of a
plant breeding programme. The methods may allow for, or at least
assist with, the selection of plants which have a particular
genotype/phenotype which is influenced by the microbial flora, in
addition to identifying microorganisms and/or compositions that are
capable of imparting one or more property to one or more
plants.
[0110] In one aspect the invention relates to a method for the
selection of one or more microorganism(s) which are capable of
imparting one or more beneficial property to a plant. It should be
appreciated that as referred to herein a "beneficial property to a
plant" should be interpreted broadly to mean any property which is
beneficial for any particular purpose including properties which
may be beneficial to human beings, other animals, the environment,
a habitat, an ecosystem, the economy, of commercial benefit, or of
any other benefit to any entity or system. Accordingly, the term
should be taken to include properties which may suppress, decrease
or block one or more characteristic of a plant, including
suppressing, decreasing or inhibiting the growth or growth rate of
a plant. The invention may be described herein, by way of example
only, in terms of identifying positive benefits to one or more
plants or improving plants. However, it should be appreciated that
the invention is equally applicable to identifying negative
benefits that can be conferred to plants.
[0111] Such beneficial properties include, but are not limited to,
for example: improved growth, health and/or survival
characteristics, suitability or quality of the plant for a
particular purpose, structure, colour, chemical composition or
profile, taste, smell, improved quality. In other embodiments,
beneficial properties include, but are not limited to, for example;
decreasing, suppressing or inhibiting the growth of a plant
identified to be a weed; constraining the height and width of a
plant to a desirable ornamental size; limiting the height of plants
used in ground cover applications such as motorway and roadside
banks and erosion control projects; slowing the growth of plants
used in turf applications such as lawns, bowling greens and golf
courses to reduce the necessity of mowing; reducing ratio of
foliage/flowers in ornamental flowering shrubs; regulate production
of and/or response to plant pheromones (resulting in increased
tannin production in surrounding plant community and decreased
appeal to foraging species).
[0112] As used herein, "improved" should be taken broadly to
encompass improvement of a characteristic of a plant which may
already exist in a plant or plants prior to application of the
invention, or the presence of a characteristic which did not exist
in a plant or plants prior to application of the invention. By way
of example, "improved" growth should be taken to include growth of
a plant where the plant was not previously known to grow under the
relevant conditions.
[0113] As used herein, "inhibiting and suppressing" and like terms
should be taken broadly and should not be construed to require
complete inhibition or suppression, although this may be desired in
some embodiments.
[0114] To assist in describing the invention, the terms a "first
set of one or more microorganisms" and a "second set of one or more
microorganisms" may be used herein to distinguish the set or group
of microorganism(s) applied in step a) and the set or group of
microorganism(s) acquired in step c) of a method of the invention.
In certain embodiments, the sets of microorganisms will be
distinct; for example, the second set may be a subset of the first
set, as a result of combining the first set with the plant and then
selecting one or more plant based on one or more selection
criterion. However, it should be appreciated that this may not
always be the case and accordingly, the use of this terminology
should not be construed in such a limited manner.
[0115] In certain embodiments, methods of the invention relate to
selecting one or more microorganisms which are capable of imparting
one or more beneficial property to a plant. As is further described
herein after, such microorganism(s) may be contained within a
plant, on a plant, and/or within the plant rhizosphere.
Accordingly, where reference is made herein to acquiring a second
set of one or more microorganisms "from" a plant, unless the
context requires otherwise, it should be taken to include reference
to acquiring a second set of microorganisms contained within a
plant, on a plant and/or within the plant rhizosphere. For case of
reference, the wording "associated with" may be used synonymously
to refer to microorganism(s) contained within a plant, on a plant
and/or within the plant rhizosphere.
[0116] Broadly, the method comprises at least the steps of a)
growing one or more plant in a growth medium in the presence of a
first set of one or mom microorganisms; b) selecting one or more
plant following step a); and, c) acquiring a second set of one or
more microorganisms associated with said one or mom plant selected
in step b). The one or more plants, growth medium and one or more
microorganisms may be provided separately and combined in any
appropriate order prior to step a). In particular, the invention
provides an iterative method in which steps a) to c) may be
repeated one or more times, wherein the one or more microorganisms
acquired in step c) are used in step a) of the next cycle of the
method. In one embodiment, steps a) to c) are repeated once. In
another embodiment, steps a) to c) are repeated twice. In another
embodiment, steps a) to c) are repeated three times. In another
embodiment, steps a) to c) are repeated at least until a desired
beneficial property is observed.
[0117] It will be appreciated that after a desired number of
repeats of steps a) to c) the method may conclude with the
acquisition of a set of one or more microorganisms from step
c).
[0118] It should be appreciated that the methods do not require the
identification of the microorganisms in the population acquired in
step c) nor do they require a determination of the properties of
individual microorganisms or combinations of microorganisms
acquired. However, evaluation, identification and/or a
determination of the beneficial properties could be conducted if
desired. For example, it may be preferred in some cases to isolate
and identify the microbes in the final step of a method of the
invention to determine their safety for commercial use and to
satisfy regulatory requirements. In such cases, genetic and/or
phenotypic analyses may be conducted.
[0119] In one embodiment, step a) is conducted using at least two
plants. In other embodiments 10 to 20 plants are used. In yet other
embodiments, 20 or more 50 or more, 100 or more, 300 or more, 500
or more or 1000 or more plants are used. As noted hereinbefore,
where two or more plants are used in a particular method of the
invention they need not be the same variety or species. For
example, in one embodiment it may be desirable to select
microorganisms that can impart a positive benefit to one plant
variety or species and a negative benefit to another plant variety
or species.
[0120] In one embodiment, where two or more microorganisms are
acquired in step c), the method may further comprise the steps of
separating the two or more microorganisms into individual isolates,
selecting two or more individual isolates, and then combining the
selected two or more isolates. This may result in the set of
microorganisms acquired at the conclusion of a method of an
invention. However, in one embodiment, the combined isolates may
then be used in step a) of successive rounds of the method. By way
of example, from two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine or
ten individual isolates may be combined. The inventors envisage an
iterative method in which steps a) to c) are repeated one or more
times, utilising these additional steps of separating, selecting
and combining with each repeat of the method, or interspersed or
otherwise combined with a method in which individual isolates are
not selected and combined.
[0121] It is expected that these combinations will detect
previously unknown, desirable property promoting (such as plant
growth), synergistic interactions between microbes. Using the
iterative steps a) to c) will drive the starting population of two
or more microorganisms toward microbes that interact with the plant
to impart a desired property or characteristic. In other words, the
process will allow for enrichment of suitable microorganisms within
the plant microbiome.
[0122] Selection of individual isolates may occur on the basis of
any appropriate selection criteria. For example, it may be random,
it may be based on the beneficial property or properties observed
by performing a method of the invention or, where information about
the identity of the microorganism is known, it may be on the basis
that the microorganism has previously been recognised to have a
particular beneficial property.
[0123] In addition, two or more methods of the invention may be
performed separately or in parallel and the microorganisms that
result from each method combined into a single composition. For
example, two separate methods may be performed, one to identify
microorganisms capable of imparting one or more first beneficial
property, and a second to identify microorganisms capable of
imparting one or more second beneficial property. The separate
methods may be directed to identifying microorganisms having the
same beneficial property or having distinct beneficial properties.
The microorganisms and plants used in the separate methods may be
the same or different. If further optimisation of the
microorganisms is desired, the single composition of microorganisms
may be applied to one or more further rounds of a method of the
invention. Alternatively, the single composition of microorganisms
may be used, as desired, to confer the relevant properties to plant
crops, without further optimisation. Combining two or more methods
of the invention in this way allows for the selection and
combination of microorganisms which may ordinarily be separated by
time and/or space in a particular environment.
[0124] In certain embodiments of the invention, the methods may
comprise growing or propagating one or more plants selected in step
c) of the method, to grow the population of the second set of one
or more microorganisms associated with the selected one or more
plants, either at the conclusion of a method of the invention, or
prior to using the second set of one or more microorganisms in step
a) of any successive repeat of the method. If the one or more
plants (with associated microorganisms) are grown or propagated at
the conclusion of a method of the invention they may then be used
or sold in that form. Alternatively, one or more microorganisms may
be isolated from the one or more plants, or one or more plant
tissue and/or one or more plant pan with associated microorganisms
may be used as a crude source of the one or more microorganisms in
any successive repeat of the invention, or for any other purpose at
the conclusion of the method. In one embodiment, the seeds (with
associated microorganisms) of one or more plant that has been grown
or propagated may be obtained and used as a source of the one or
more microorganisms in any successive repeat of the method.
Alternatively, if obtained at the conclusion of a method of the
invention, the seeds and associated microorganisms may be sold or
used for any other purpose.
[0125] Further methods and aspects of the invention are described
herein after.
[0126] Microorganisms
[0127] As used herein the term "microorganism" should be taken
broadly. It includes but is not limited to the two prokaryotic
domains, Bacteria and Archaea, as well as eukaryotic fungi and
protists. By way of example, the microorganisms may include
Proteobacteria (such as Pseudomonas, Enterobacter,
Stenotrophomonas, Burkholderia, Rhizobium, Herbaspirillum, Pantoea,
Serratia, Rahnella, Azospirillum, Azorhizobium, Azotobacter,
Duganella, Delftia, Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Halomonas),
Firmicutes (such as Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Lactobacillus,
Mycoplasma, and Acetobacterium). Actinobacteria (such as
Streptomyces, Rhodococcus, Microbacterium, and Curtobacterium), and
the fungi Ascomycota (such as Trichoderma, Ampelomyces,
Coniothyrium, Paecoelomyces, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Hypocrea,
Beauveria, Metarhizium, Verticillium, Cordyceps, Pichea, and
Candida, Basidiomycota (such as Coprinus, Corticium, and Agaricus)
and Oomycota (such as Pythium, Mucor, and Mortierella).
[0128] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the microorganism is
an endophyte or an epiphyte or a microorganism inhabiting the plant
rhizosphere. In one embodiment, the microorganism is a seed-borne
endophyte.
[0129] In certain embodiments, the microorganism is unculturable.
This should be taken to mean that the microorganism is not known to
be culturable or is difficult to culture using methods known to one
skilled in the art.
[0130] Microorganisms of use in the methods of the present
invention (for example, the first set of one or more
microorganisms) may be collected or obtained from any source or
contained within and/or associated with material collected from any
source.
[0131] In one embodiment, the first set of one or more
microorganisms are obtained from any general terrestrial
environment, including its soils, plants, fungi, animals (including
invertebrates) and other biota, including the sediments, water and
biota of lakes and rivers; from the marine environment, its biota
and sediments (for example sea water, marine muds, marine plants,
marine invertebrates (for example sponges), marine vertebrates (for
example, fish)); the terrestrial and marine geosphere (regolith and
rock, for example crushed subterranean rocks, sand and clays); the
cryosphere and its meltwater; the atmosphere (for example, filtered
aerial dusts, cloud and rain droplets); urban, industrial and other
man-made environments (for example, accumulated organic and mineral
matter on concrete, roadside gutters, roof surfaces, road
surfaces).
[0132] In another embodiment the first set of one or more
microorganisms are obtained from a source likely to favour the
selection of appropriate microorganisms. By way of example, the
source may be a particular environment in which it is desirable for
other plants to grow, or which is thought to be associated with
terroir. In another example, the source may be a plant having one
or more desirable traits, for example a plant which naturally grows
in a particular environment or under certain conditions of
interest. By way of example, a certain plant may naturally grow in
sandy soil or sand of high salinity, or under extreme temperatures,
or with little water, or it may be resistant to certain pests or
disease present in the environment, and it may be desirable for a
commercial crop to be grown in such conditions, particularly if
they are, for example, the only conditions available in a
particular geographic location. By way of further example, the
microorganisms may be collected from commercial crops grown in such
environments, or more specifically from individual crop plants best
displaying a trait of interest amongst a crop grown in any specific
environment: for example the fastest-growing plants amongst a crop
grown in saline-limiting soils, or the least damaged plants in
crops exposed to severe insect damage or disease epidemic, or
plants having desired quantities of certain metabolites and other
compounds, including fibre content, oil content, and the like, or
plants displaying desirable colours, taste or smell. The
microorganisms may be collected from a plant of interest or any
material occurring in the environment of interest, including fungi
and other animal and plant biota, soil, water, sediments, and other
elements of the environment as referred to previously.
[0133] In certain embodiments, the microorganisms are sourced from
previously performed methods of the invention (for example, the
microorganisms acquired in step c) of the method), including
combinations of individual isolates separated from the second set
of microorganisms isolated in step c) or combinations of
microorganisms resulting from two or more separately performed
methods of the invention.
[0134] While the invention obviates the need for pre-existing
knowledge about a microorganism's desirable properties with respect
to a particular plant species, in one embodiment a microorganism or
a combination of microorganisms of use in the methods of the
invention may be selected from a pre-existing collection of
individual microbial species or strains based on some knowledge of
their likely or predicted benefit to a plant. For example, the
microorganism may be predicted to: improve nitrogen fixation;
release phosphate from the soil organic matter; release phosphate
from the inorganic forms of phosphate (e.g. rock phosphate); "fix
carbon" in the root microsphere; live in the rhizosphere of the
plant thereby assisting the plant in absorbing nutrients from the
surrounding soil and then providing these more readily to the
plant; increase the number of nodules on the plant roots and
thereby increase the number of symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria
(e.g. Rhizobium species) per plant and the amount of nitrogen fixed
by the plant; elicit plant defensive responses such as ISR (induced
systemic resistance) or SAR (systemic acquired resistance) which
help the plant resist the invasion and spread of pathogenic
microorganisms; compete with microorganisms deleterious to plant
growth or health by antagonism, or competitive utilisation of
resources such as nutrients or space; change the colour of one or
more part of the plant, or change the chemical profile of the
plant, its smell, taste or one or more other quality.
[0135] In one embodiment a microorganism or combination of
microorganisms (the first set of one or more microorganisms) is
selected from a pre-existing collection of individual microbial
species or strains that provides no knowledge of their likely or
predicted benefit to a plant. For example, a collection of
unidentified microorganisms isolated from plant tissues without any
knowledge of their ability to improve plant growth or health, or a
collection of microorganisms collected to explore their potential
for producing compounds that could lead to the development of
pharmaceutical drugs.
[0136] In one embodiment, the microorganisms are isolated from the
source material (for example, soil, rock, water, air, dust, plant
or other organism) in which they naturally reside. The
microorganisms may be provided in any appropriate form, having
regard to its intended use in the methods of the invention.
However, by way of example only, the microorganisms may be provided
as an aqueous suspension, gel, homogenate, granule, powder, slurry,
live organism or dried material. The microorganisms may be isolated
in substantially pure or mixed cultures. They may be concentrated,
diluted or provided in the natural concentrations in which they are
found in the source material. For example, microorganisms from
saline sediments may be isolated for use in this invention by
suspending the sediment in fresh water and allowing the sediment to
fall to the bottom. The water containing the bulk of the
microorganisms may be removed by decantation after a suitable
period of settling and either applied directly to the plant growth
medium, or concentrated by filtering or centrifugation, diluted to
an appropriate concentration and applied to the plant growth medium
with the bulk of the salt removed. By way of further example,
microorganisms from mineralized or toxic sources may be similarly
treated to recover the microbes for application to the plant growth
material to minimise the potential for damage to the plant.
[0137] In another embodiment, the microorganisms (including the
first set of one or more microorganism and/or the second set of one
or more microorganisms) are used in a crude form, in which they are
not isolated from the source material in which they naturally
reside. For example, the microorganisms are provided in combination
with the source material in which they reside; for example, as
soil, or the roots, seed or foliage of a plant.
[0138] In this embodiment, the source material may include one or
more species of microorganisms.
[0139] It is preferred that a mixed population of microorganisms is
used in the methods of the invention.
[0140] In embodiments of the invention where the microorganisms are
isolated from a source material (for example, the material in which
they naturally reside), any one or a combination of a number of
standard techniques which will be readily known to skilled persons
may be used. However, by way of example, these in general employ
processes by which a solid or liquid culture of a single
microorganism can be obtained in a substantially pure form, usually
by physical separation on the surface of a solid microbial growth
medium or by volumetric dilutive isolation into a liquid microbial
growth medium. These processes may include isolation from dry
material, liquid suspension, slurries or homogenates in which the
material is spread in a thin layer over an appropriate solid gel
growth medium, or serial dilutions of the material made into a
sterile medium and inoculated into liquid or solid culture
media.
[0141] Whilst not essential, in one embodiment, the material
containing the microorganisms may be pre-treated prior to the
isolation process in order to either multiply all microorganisms in
the material, or select portions of the microbial population,
either by enriching the material with microbial nutrients (for
example, nitrates, sugars, or vegetable, microbial or animal
extracts), or by applying a means of ensuring the selective
survival of only a portion of the microbial diversity within the
material (for example, by pasteurising the sample at 60.degree.
C.-80.degree. C. for 10-20 minutes to select for microorganisms
resistant to heat exposure (for example, bacilli), or by exposing
the sample to low concentrations of an organic solvent or sterilant
(for example, 25% ethanol for 10 minutes) to enhance the survival
of actinomycetes and spore-forming or solvent-resistant
microorganisms). Microorganisms can then be isolated from the
enriched materials or materials treated for selective survival, as
above.
[0142] In a preferred embodiment of the invention endophytic or
epiphytic microorganisms are isolated from plant material. Any
number of standard techniques known in the art may be used and the
microorganisms may be isolated from any appropriate tissue in the
plant, including for example root, stem and leaves, and plant
reproductive tissues. By way of example, conventional methods for
isolation from plants typically include the sterile excision of the
plant material of interest (e.g. root or stem lengths, leaves),
surface sterilisation with an appropriate solution (e.g. 2% sodium
hypochlorite), after which the plant material is placed on nutrient
medium for microbial growth (see, for example, Strobel G and Daisy
B (2003) Bioprospecting for microbial endophytes and their natural
products. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews 67 (4):
491-502; Zinniel D K et al. (2002) Isolation and characterisation
of endophytic colonising bacteria from agronomic crops and prairie
plants. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68 (5): 2198-2208).
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the microorganisms
are isolated from root tissue. Further methodology for isolating
microorganisms from plant material are detailed herein after.
[0143] As used herein, "isolate", "isolated" and like terms should
be taken broadly. These terms are intended to mean that the one or
more microorganism(s) has been separated at least partially from at
least one of the materials with which it is associated in a
particular environment (for example soil, water, plant tissue).
"Isolate", "isolated" and like terms should not be taken to
indicate the extent to which the microorganism(s) has been
purified.
[0144] As used herein, "individual isolates" should be taken to
mean a composition or culture comprising a predominance of a single
genera, species or strain of microorganism, following separation
from one or more other microorganisms. The phrase should not be
taken to indicate the extent to which the microorganism has been
isolated or purified. However, "individual isolates" preferably
comprise substantially only one genus, species or strain of
microorganism.
[0145] In one embodiment, the microbial population is exposed
(prior to the method or at any stage of the method) to a selective
pressure to enhance the probability that the eventually-selected
plants will have microbial assemblages likely to have desired
properties. For example, exposure of the microorganisms to
pasteurisation before their addition to a plant growth medium
(preferably sterile) is likely to enhance the probability that the
plants selected for a desired trait will be associated with
spore-forming microbes that can mom easily survive in adverse
conditions, in commercial storage, or if applied to seed as a
coating, in an adverse environment.
[0146] It should be appreciated that the second set of
microorganisms acquired in step c) of a method of the invention may
be isolated from a plant or plant material, surface or growth media
associated with a selected plant using any appropriate techniques
known in the art, including but not limited to those techniques
described herein. However, in certain embodiments, as mentioned
herein before, the microorganism(s) may be used in crude form and
need not be isolated from a plant or a media. For example, plant
material or growth media which includes the microorganisms
identified to be of benefit to a selected plant may be obtained and
used as a crude source of microorganisms for the next round of the
method or as a crude source of microorganisms at the conclusion of
the method. For example, whole plant material could be obtained and
optionally processed, such as mulched or crushed. Alternatively,
individual tissues or parts of selected plants (such as leaves,
stems, roots, and seeds) may be separated from the plant and
optionally processed, such as mulched or crushed. In certain
embodiments, one or more part of a plant which is associated with
the second set of one or more microorganisms may be removed from
one or more selected plants and, where any successive repeat of the
method is to be conducted, grafted on to one or more plant used in
step a).
[0147] The methods of the invention may be described herein in
terms of the second set of one or more microorganisms being
isolated from their source material. However, unless the context
requires otherwise, this should also be taken to include reference
to the use of microorganisms in crude form in which they have not
been isolated from the source material.
[0148] Plants
[0149] Any number of a variety different plants, including mosses
and lichens and algae, may be used in the methods of the invention.
In preferred embodiments, the plants have economic, social and/or
environmental value. For example, the plants may include those of
use: as food crops; as fibre crops; as oil crops; in the forestry
industry; in the pulp and paper industry; as a feedstock for
biofuel production; and/or, as ornamental plants. In other
embodiments, the plants may be economically socially and or
environmentally undesirable, such as weeds. The following is a list
of non-limiting examples of the types of plants the methods of the
invention may be applied to:
[0150] Food Crops: [0151] Cereals (maize, rice, wheat, barley,
sorghum, millet, oats, rye, triticale, buckwheat); [0152] leafy
tables (brassicaceous plants such as cabbages, broccoli, bok choy,
rocket; salad greens such as spinach, cress, lettuce); [0153]
fruiting and flowering vegetables (e.g. avocado, sweet corn,
artichokes, curcubits e.g. squash, cucumbers, melons, courgettes,
pumpkins; solononaceous vegetables/fruits e.g. tomatoes, eggplant,
capsicums); [0154] podded vegetables (groundnuts, peanuts, peas,
soybeans, beans, lentils, chickpea, okra); [0155] bulbed and stem
vegetables (asparagus, celery, Allium crops e.g garlic, onions,
leeks); [0156] roots and tuberous vegetables (carrots, beet, bamboo
shoots, cassava, yams, ginger, Jerusalem artichoke, parsnips,
radishes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, turnip, wasabi); [0157]
sugar crops including sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), sugar cane
(Saccharum officinarum); [0158] crops grown for the production of
non-alcoholic beverages and stimulants (coffee, black, herbal and
green teas, cocoa, tobacco); [0159] fruit crops such as true berry
fruits (e.g. kiwifruit, grape, currants, gooseberry, guava, feijoa,
pomegranate), citrus fruits (e.g. oranges, lemons, limes,
grapefruit), epigynous fruits (e.g. bananas, cranberries,
blueberries), aggregate fruit (blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry),
multiple fruits (e.g. pineapple, fig), stone fruit crops (e.g.
apricot, peach, cherry, plum), pip-fruit (e.g, apples, pears) and
others such as strawberries, sunflower seeds; [0160] culinary and
medicinal herbs e.g. rosemary, basil, bay laurel, coriander, mint,
dill, Hypericum, foxglove, alovera, rosehips); [0161] crop plants
producing spices e.g. black pepper, cumin cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,
cloves, saffron, cardamom, mace, paprika, masalas, star anise;
[0162] crops grown for the production of nuts e.g. almonds and
walnuts, Brazil nut, cashew nuts, coconuts, chestnut, macadamia
nut, pistachio nuts; peanuts, pecan nuts; [0163] crops grown for
production of beers, wines and other alcoholic beverages e.g
grapes, hops; [0164] oilseed crops e.g, soybean, peanuts, cotton,
olives, sunflower, sesame, lupin species and brassicaceous crops
(e.g. canola/oilseed rape); and, [0165] edible fungi e.g. white
mushrooms, Shiitake and oyster mushrooms;
[0166] Plants Used in Pastoral Agriculture: [0167] legumes:
Trifolium species, Medicago species, and Lotus species; White
clover (T. repens); Red clover (T. pratense); Caucasian clover (T.
ambigum); subterranean clover (T. subterraneum); Alfalfa/Lucerne
(Medicago sativum); annual medics; barrel medic; black medic;
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia); Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus
corniculatus); Greater Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus);
[0168] seed legumes/pulses including Peas (Pisum sativum), Common
bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), Broad beans (Vicia faba), Mung bean
(Vigna radiata), Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), Chick pea (Cicer
arietum), Lupins (Lupinus species); [0169] Cereals including
Maize/corn (Zea mays), Sorghum (Sorghum spp.), Millet (Panicum
miliaceum, P. sumatrense), Rice (Oryza sativa indica, Oryza sativa
japonica), Wheat (Triticum sativa), Barley (Hordeum vulgare), Rye
(Secale cereale), Triticale (Triticum.times.Secale), Oats (Avena
fatua); [0170] Forage and Amenity grasses: Temperate grasses such
as Lolium species; Festuca species; Agrostis spp., Perennial
ryegrass (Lolium perenne); hybrid ryegrass (Lolium hybridum);
annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), tall fescue (Festuca
arundinacea); meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis); red fescue
(Festuca rubra); Festuca ovina; Festuloliums (Lolium.times.Festuca
crosses); Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata); Kentucky bluegrass Poa
pratensis; Poa palustris; Poa nemoralis; Poa trivialis; Poa
compresa; Bromus species; Phalaris (Phleum species); Arrhenatherum
elatius; Agropyron species; Avena strigosa; Setaria italic; [0171]
Tropical grasses such as: Phalaris species; Brachiaria species;
Eragrostis species; Panicum species; Babai grass (Paspalum
notatum); Brachypodium species; and, [0172] Grasses used for
biofuel production such as Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and
Miscanthus species;
[0173] Fibre Crops; [0174] cotton, hemp, jute, coconut, sisal, flax
(Linum spp.), New Zealand flax (Phormium spp.); plantation and
natural forest species harvested for paper and engineered wood
fibre products such as coniferous and broadleafed forest
species;
[0175] Tree and Shrub Species Used in Plantation Forestry and
Bio-Fuel Crops: [0176] Pine (Pinus species); Fir (Pseudotsuga
species); Spruce (Picea species); Cypress (Cupressus species);
Wattle (Acacia species); Alder (Alnus species); Oak species
(Quercus species); Redwood (Sequoiadendron species); willow (Salix
species); birch (Betula species); Cedar (Cedurus species); Ash
(Fraxinus species); Larch (Larix species); Eucalyptus species;
Bamboo (Bambuseae species) and Poplars (Populus species).
[0177] Plants Grown for Conversion to Energy, Biofuels or
Industrial Products by Extractive, Biological, Physical or
Biochemical Treatment: [0178] Oil-producing plants such as oil
palm, jatropha, soybean, cotton, linseed; [0179] Latex-producing
plants such as the Para Rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis and the
Panama Rubber Tree Castilla elastica; [0180] plants used as direct
or indirect feedstocks for the production of biofuels i.e. after
chemical, physical (e.g. thermal or catalytic) or biochemical (e.g.
enzymatic pre-treatment) or biological (e.g. microbial
fermentation) transformation during the production of biofuels,
industrial solvents or chemical products e.g. ethanol or butanol,
propane diols, or other fuel or industrial material including sugar
crops (e.g. beet, sugar cane), starch-producing crops (e.g. C3 and
C4 cereal crops and tuberous crops), cellulosic crops such as
forest trees (e.g. Pines, Eucalypts) and Graminaceous and Poaceous
plants such as bamboo, switch grass, miscanthus; [0181] crops used
in energy, biofuel or industrial chemical production via
gasification and/or microbial or catalytic conversion of the gas to
biofuels or other industrial raw materials such as solvents or
plastics, with or without the production of biochar (e.g. biomass
crops such as coniferous, eucalypt, tropical or broadleaf forest
trees, graminaceous and poaceous crops such as bamboo, switch
grass, miscanthus, sugar cane, or hemp or softwoods such as
poplars, willows; and, [0182] biomass crops used in the production
of biochar;
[0183] Crops Producing Natural Products Useful for the
Pharmaceutical, Agricultural Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical
Industries: [0184] crops producing pharmaceutical precursors or
compounds or nutraceutical and cosmeceutical compounds and
materials for example, star anise (shikimic acid), Japanese
knotweed (resveratrol), kiwifruit (soluble fibre, proteolytic
enzymes);
[0185] Floricultural, Ornamental and Amenity Plants Grown for their
Aesthetic or Environmental Properties: [0186] Flowers such as
roses, tulips, chrysanthemums; [0187] Ornamental shrubs such as
Buxus, Hebe, Rosa, Rhododendron, Hedera [0188] Amenity plants such
as Platanus, Choisya, Escallonia, Euphorbia, Carex [0189] Mosses
such as sphagnum moss
[0190] Plants Grown for Bioremediation: [0191] Helianthus,
Brassica, Salix, Populus, Eucalyptus
[0192] It should be appreciated that a plant may be provided in the
form of a seed, seedling, cutting, propagule, or any other plant
material or tissue capable of growing. In one embodiment the seed
may surface-sterilised with a material such as sodium hypochlorite
or mercuric chloride to remove surface-contaminating
microorganisms. In one embodiment, the propagule is grown in axenic
culture before being placed in the plant growth medium, for example
as sterile plantlets in tissue culture.
[0193] Growth Medium
[0194] The term "growth medium" as used herein, should be taken
broadly to mean any medium which is suitable to support growth of a
plant. By way of example, the media may be natural or artificial
including, but not limited to, soil, potting mixes, bark,
vermiculite, hydroponic solutions alone and applied to solid plant
support systems, and tissue culture gels. It should be appreciated
that the media may be used alone or in combination with one or more
other media. It may also be used with or without the addition of
exogenous nutrients and physical support systems for roots and
foliage.
[0195] In one embodiment, the growth medium is a naturally
occurring medium such as soil, sand, mud, clay, humus, regolith,
rock, or water. In another embodiment, the growth medium is
artificial. Such an artificial growth medium may be constructed to
mimic the conditions of a naturally occurring medium, however, this
is not necessary. Artificial growth media can be made from one or
more of any number and combination of materials including sand,
minerals, glass, rock, water, metals, salts, nutrients, water. In
one embodiment, the growth medium is sterile. In another
embodiment, the growth medium is not sterile.
[0196] The medium may be amended or enriched with additional
compounds or components, for example, a component which may assist
in the interaction and/or selection of specific groups of
microorganisms with the plant and each other.
[0197] In certain embodiments of the invention, the growth medium
may be pre-treated to assist in the survival and/or selection of
certain microorganisms. For example, the medium may be pre-treated
by incubating in an enrichment media to encourage the
multiplication of endogenous microbes that may be present therein.
By way of further example, the medium may be pre-treated by
incubating in a selective medium to encourage the multiplication of
specific groups of microorganisms. A further example includes the
growth medium being pre-treated to exclude a specific element of
the microbial assemblage therein; for example pasteurization (to
remove spore-forming bacteria and fungi) or treatment with organic
solvents such as various alcohols to remove microorganisms
sensitive to these materials but allow the survival of
actinomycetes and spore-forming bacteria, for example.
[0198] Methods for pre-treating or enriching may be informed by
culture independent microbial community profiling techniques that
provide information on the identity of microbes or groups of
microbes present. These methods may include, but are not limited
to, sequencing techniques including high throughput sequencing and
phylogenetic analysis, or microarray-based screening of nucleic
acids coding for components of rRNA operons or other taxonomically
informative loci.
[0199] Growth Conditions
[0200] In accordance with the methods of the invention one or more
plant is subjected to one or more microorganism and a growth
medium. The plant is preferably grown or allowed to multiply in the
presence of the one or more microorganism(s) and growth medium. The
microorganism(s) may be present in the growth medium naturally
without the addition of further microorganisms, for example in a
natural soil. The growth medium, plant and microorganisms may be
combined or exposed to one another in any appropriate order. In one
embodiment, the plant, seed, seedling, cutting, propagule or the
like is planted or sown into the growth medium which has been
previously inoculated with the one or more microorganisms.
Alternatively, the one or more microorganisms may be applied to the
plant, seed, seedling, cutting, propagule or the like which is then
planted or sown into the growth medium (which may or may not
contain further microorganisms). In another embodiment, the plant,
seed, seedling, cutting, propagule or the like is first planted or
sown into the growth medium, allowed to grow, and at a later time
the one or more microorganisms are applied to the plant, seed,
seedling, cutting, propagule or the like and/or the growth medium
itself is inoculated with the one or more microorganisms.
[0201] The microorganisms may be applied to the plant, seedling,
cutting, propagule or the like and/or the growth medium using any
appropriate techniques known in the art. However, by way of
example, in one embodiment, the one or more microorganisms are
applied to the plant, seedling, cutting, propagule or the like by
spraying or dusting. In another embodiment, the microorganisms are
applied directly to seeds (for example as a coating) prior to
sowing. In a further embodiment, the microorganisms or spores from
microorganisms are formulated into granules and are applied
alongside seeds during sowing. In another embodiment,
microorganisms may be inoculated into a plant by cutting the roots
or stems and exposing the plant surface to the microorganisms by
spraying, dipping or otherwise applying a liquid microbial
suspension, or gel, or powder. In another embodiment the
microorganism(s) may be injected directly into foliar or root
tissue, or otherwise inoculated directly into or onto a foliar or
root cut, or else into an excised embryo, or radicle or coleoptile.
These inoculated plants may then be further exposed to a growth
media containing further microorganisms, however, this is not
necessary. In certain embodiments, the microorganisms are applied
to the plant, seedling, cutting, propagule or the like and/or
growth medium in association with plant material (for example,
plant material with which the microorganisms are associated).
[0202] In other embodiments, particularly where the microorganisms
are unculturable, the microorganisms may be transferred to a plant
by any one or a combination of grafting, insertion of explants,
aspiration, electroporation, wounding, root pruning, induction of
stomatal opening, or any physical, chemical or biological treatment
that provides the opportunity for microbes to enter plant cells or
the intercellular space. Persons of skill in the art may readily
appreciate a number of alternative techniques that may be used.
[0203] It should be appreciated that such techniques are equally
applicable to application of the first set of one or more
microorganisms and the second set of microorganisms when used in
step a) of a successive repeat of the method.
[0204] In one embodiment the microorganisms infiltrate parts of the
plant such as the roots, stems, leaves and/or reproductive plant
parts (become endophytic), and/or grow upon the surface of roots,
stems, leaves and/or reproductive plant parts (become epiphytic)
and/or grow in the plant rhizosphere. In one preferred embodiment
microorganism(s) form a symbiotic relationship with the plant.
[0205] The growth conditions used may be varied depending on the
species of plant, as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the
art. However, by way of example, for clover, in a growth room one
would typically grow plants in a soil containing approximately
1/3.sup.rd organic matter in the form of peat, 1/3.sup.rd compost,
and 1/3.sup.rd screened pumice, supplemented by fertilisers
typically containing nitrates, phosphates, potassium and magnesium
salts and micronutrients and at a pH of between 6 and 7. The plants
may be grown at a temperature between 22-24.degree. C. in an 16:8
period of daylight:darkness, and watered automatically.
[0206] For example, in the case of winter wheat varieties, mainly
sown in the Northern Hemisphere, it may be important to select
plants that display early tillering after exposure of seed to a
growth medium containing microorganisms under conditions of light
and temperature similar to those experienced by the winter wheat
seed in the Northern Hemisphere, since early tillering is a trait
related to winter survival, growth and eventual grain yield in the
summer. Or, a tree species may be selected for improved growth and
health at 4-6 months as these traits are related to the health and
growth rate and size of trees of 10 years later, an impractical
period product development using this invention.
[0207] Selection
[0208] Typically, following growth of the one or more plants in the
presence of one or more microorganisms, one or more plant is
selected based on one or more selection criterion. In one
embodiment the plants are selected on the basis of one or more
phenotypic traits. Skilled persons will readily appreciate that
such traits include any observable characteristic of the plant,
including for example growth rate, height, weight, colour, taste,
smell, changes in the production of one or more compounds by the
plant (including for example, metabolites, proteins, drugs,
carbohydrates, oils, and any other compounds). Selecting plants
based on genotypic information is also envisaged (for example,
including the pattern of plant gene expression in response to the
microorganisms, genotype, presence of genetic markers). It should
be appreciated that in certain embodiments, plants may be selected
based on the absence, suppression or inhibition of a certain
feature or trait (such as an undesirable feature or trait) as
opposed to the presence of a certain feature or trait (such as a
desirable feature or trait).
[0209] Where the presence of one or more genetic marker is
assessed, the one or more marker may already be known and/or
associated with a particular characteristic of a plant; for
example, a marker or markers associated with an increased growth
rate or metabolite profile. This information could be used in
combination with assessment based on other characteristics in a
method of the invention to select for a combination of different
plant characteristics that may be desirable. Such techniques may be
used to identify novel QTLs which link desirable plant traits with
a specific microbial flora--for example matching plant genotype to
the microbiome type.
[0210] By way of example, plants may be selected based on growth
rate, size (including but not limited to weight, height, leaf size,
stem size, branching pattern, or the size of any part of the
plant), general health, and survival, as well as other
characteristic, as described herein before. Further non-limiting
examples include selecting plants based on: speed of seed
germination; quantity of biomass produced; increased root, and/or
leaf/shoot growth that leads to an increased yield (herbage or
grain or fibre or oil) or biomass production; effects on plant
growth that results in an increased seed yield for a crop, which
may be particularly relevant in cereal crops such as wheat, barley,
oats, rye, maize, rice, sorghum, oilseed crops such as soybean,
canola, cotton, sunflower, and seed legumes such as peas, beans;
effects on plant growth that result in an increased oil yield,
which may be particularly relevant in oil seed crops such as
soybean, canola, cotton, jatropha and sunflower; effects on plant
growth that result in an increased fibre yield (e.g. in cotton,
flax and linseed) or for effects that result in an increased tuber
yield in crops such as potatoes and sugar beet; effects on plant
growth that result in an increased digestibility of the biomass
which may be particularly relevant in forage crops such as forage
legumes (alfalfa, clovers, medics), forage grasses (Lolium species;
Festuca species; Paspalum species; Brachiaria species; Eragrostis
species), forage crops grown for silage such as maize and forage
cereals (wheat, barley, oats); effects on plant growth which result
in an increased fruit yield which may be particularly relevant to
pip fruit trees (such as apples, pears, etc), berry fruits (such as
strawberries, raspberries, cranberries), stone fruit (such as
nectarines, apricots), and citrus fruit, grapes, figs, nut trees;
effects on plant growth that lead to an increased resistance or
tolerance disease including fungal, viral or bacterial diseases or
to pests such as insects, mites or nematodes in which damage is
measured by decreased foliar symptoms such as the incidence of
bacterial or fungal lesions, or area of damaged foliage or
reduction in the numbers of nematode cysts or galls on plant roots,
or improvements in plant yield in the presence of such plant pests
and diseases; effects on plant growth that lead to increased
metabolite yields, for example in plants grown for pharmaceutical,
nutraceutical or cosmeceutical purposes which may be particularly
relevant for plants such as star anise grown for the production of
shikimic acid critical for the production of anti-influenza drug
oseltamivir, or the production of Japanese knotweed for the
extraction of resveratrol, or the production of soluble fibre and
dietary enzyme products from kiwifruit, or for example increased
yields of "condensed tannins" or other metabolites useful for
inhibiting the production of greenhouse gases such as methane in
grazing animals; effects on plant growth that lead to improved
aesthetic appeal which may be particularly important in plants
grown for their form, colour or taste, for example the colour
intensity and form of ornamental flowers, the taste of fruit or
vegetable, or the taste of wine from grapevines treated with
microorganisms; and, effects on plant growth that lead to improved
concentrations of toxic compounds taken up or detoxified by plants
grown for the purposes of bioremediation.
[0211] Selection of plants based on phenotypic or genotypic
information may be performed using techniques such as, but not
limited to: high through-put screening of chemical components of
plant origin, sequencing techniques including high through-put
sequencing of genetic material, differential display techniques
(including DDRT-PCR, and DD-PCR), nucleic acid microarray
techniques, RNA-seq (Whole Transcriptome Shotgun Sequencing),
qRT-PCR (quantitative real time PCR).
[0212] In certain embodiments of the invention, selection for a
combination of plant traits may be desired. This can be achieved in
a number of ways. In one embodiment, multiple rounds of iterative
improvement for one trait, e.g. superior growth, are maintained
until an acceptable level of growth is attained. Similar, but
completely separate rounds of selection are undertaken to identify
microorganisms that can confer at least different desirable traits,
for example for improved flower colour. Such separate rounds of
selection may be performed using an iterative or stacking approach
or a combination of separate methods could be used, with the
microorganisms that result from those separate rounds or methods
being combined into a single composition. At this point the
microorganism(s) could be developed into a product containing
combinations of separately-fermented microorganisms each shown to
improve a different plant attribute, in a further embodiment, the
separately selected sets of microorganisms may be combined in sets
of two or more and used in further methods of the invention. In
another embodiment, the separately selected sets of microorganisms
may be separated into individual isolates and then individual
isolates combined in sets of two or more and used in further
methods of the invention. In one embodiment, the combined
microorganisms are applied to the plant and/or growth medium in the
same iterative cycle. For example, in one combination,
microorganisms able to improve plant growth are combined with
microorganisms able to enhance flower colour. The combined
microorganisms are then added to a plant growth medium in which the
plants are grown for a suitable period, under suitable conditions.
The degree of growth and flower colour is assessed and microbes are
isolated from the best-performing plants for use in a succeeding
iteration. Similar iterative rounds may be continued until an
acceptable level of plant growth and flower colour is attained.
This approach will aid the selection of microbes that
synergistically improve plant performance; by way on non-limiting
example, improve plant growth and flower colour to a degree better
than that achieved if the microorganisms are applied simply as a
combination of two separately-selected sets.
[0213] Harvesting
[0214] Following selection, one or more plants are harvested and
plant tissues may be examined to detect microorganisms forming
associations with the plants (for example, endophytic, epiphytic or
rhizospheric associations).
[0215] The techniques described herein may be used in acquiring a
second set of microorganisms at the conclusion of a method of the
invention or for use in any successive repeat of the methods of the
invention.
[0216] The one or more microorganisms may be isolated from any
appropriate tissue of the plants selected; for example, whole
plant, foliar tissue, stem tissue, root tissue, and/or seeds. In a
preferred embodiment, the microorganisms are isolated from the root
tissue, stem or foliar tissues and/or seeds of the one or more
plants selected.
[0217] In certain embodiments of the invention, the microorganisms
may be acquired in crude form, in which they are not isolated from
the source material in which they reside (such as plant tissue or
growth media).
[0218] Where isolation of the microorganisms occurs, they may be
isolated from the plants using any appropriate methods known in the
art. However, by way of example, methods for isolating endophytic
microbes may include the sterile excision of the plant material of
interest (e.g. root, stem lengths, seed), surface sterilisation
with an appropriate solution (e.g. 2% sodium hypochlorite), after
which the plant material is placed on nutrient medium for microbial
outgrowth, especially filamentous fungi. Alternatively, the
surface-sterilised plant material can be crushed in a sterile
liquid (usually water) and the liquid suspension, including small
pieces of the crushed plant material spread over the surface of a
suitable solid agar medium, or media, which may or may not be
selective (e.g. contain only phytic acid as a source of
phosphorus). This approach is especially useful for bacteria and
yeasts which form isolated colonies and can be picked off
individually to separate plates of nutrient medium, and further
purified to a single species by well-known methods. Alternatively,
the plant root or foliage samples may not be surface sterilised but
only washed gently thus including surface-dwelling epiphytic
microorganisms in the isolation process, or the epiphytic microbes
can be isolated separately, by imprinting and lifting off pieces of
plant roots, stem of leaves on to the surface of an agar medium and
then isolating individual colonies as above. This approach is
especially useful for bacteria and yeasts, for example.
Alternatively, the roots may be processed without washing off small
quantities of soil attached to the roots, thus including microbes
that colonise the plant rhizosphere. Otherwise, soil adhering to
the roots can be removed, diluted and spread out onto agar of
suitable selective and non-selective media to isolate individual
colonies of rhizospheric microbes. Further exemplary methodology
can be found in: Strobel G and Daisy B (2003) Bioprospecting for
microbial endophytes and their natural products. Microbiology and
Molecular Biology Reviews 67 (4): 491-502; Zinniel D K et al.
(2002) Isolation and characterisation of endophytic colonising
bacteria from agronomic crops and prairie plants. Applied and
Environmental Microbiology 68 (5): 2198-2208; Manual of
Environmental Microbiology, Hurst et al., ASM Press, Washington
D.C.
[0219] Methods for isolation may be informed by culture independent
community profiling techniques that provide information on the
identity and activity of microbes present in a given sample. These
methods may include, but are not limited to, sequencing techniques
including high throughput sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, or
microarray-based screening of nucleic acids coding for components
of rRNA operons or other taxonomically informative loci.
[0220] In embodiments of the invention where two or mom
microorganism are isolated from plant material and then separated
into individual isolates, any appropriate methodology for
separating one or more microorganism from each other may be used.
However, by way of example, microbial extracts prepared from plant
material could be spread on agar plates, grown at an appropriate
temperature for a suitable period of time and the resulting
microbial colonies subsequently selected and grown in an
appropriate media (for example, streaked onto fresh plates or grown
in a liquid medium). The colonies may be selected based on
morphology or any other appropriate selection criteria as will be
understood in the art. By way of further example, selective media
could be used.
[0221] The one or more microorganisms may be harvested (including
in isolated or crude form) from the plants (including the
rhizosphere as described herein before) at any appropriate time
point. In one embodiment they are harvested at any time after
germination of the plant. For example, they can be isolated from
the period shortly after germination (where survival in the first
few days after germination is an issue, for example with bacterial
and fungal root and collar rots), then at any stage after that,
depending on the timing required for a plant to grow in order to
evidence a discriminatory benefit that enables it's selection from
the plant population (for example, to discriminate say the top 10
of 200 plants).
[0222] The inventor(s) has observed that different microorganisms
may associate with a plant at different stages of the plant's life.
Accordingly, harvesting a plant at different time points may result
in selection of a different population of microorganisms. Such
microorganisms may be of particular benefit in improving plant
condition, survival and growth at critical times during its
life.
[0223] In another embodiment of the invention, in the case of
microorganisms that form an association with a plant that allows
vertical transmission from one generation or propagule to the next
(for example seed-endophytic or -epiphytic associations, or
endophytic and epiphytic associations with plants/propagules
multiplied vegetatively) the microorganisms may not be isolated
from the plant(s). At the conclusion of a method of the invention,
a target or selected plant itself may be multiplied by seed or
vegetatively (along with the associated microorganisms) to confer
the benefit(s) to "daughter" plants of the next generation or
multiplicative phase. Similarly, where a successive repeat of the
method is desired, plant material (whole plant, plant tissue, part
of the plant) comprising the set of one or more microorganisms can
be used in step a) of any successive repeat.
[0224] Staking
[0225] The inventor(s) envisage advantages being obtained by
stacking the means of selection (or the selection criteria) of
plants in repeated rounds of the method of the invention. This may
allow for acquiring a population of microorganisms that may assist
a plant in having a number of different desirable traits, for
example.
[0226] In this embodiment of the invention the one or more
microorganisms acquired from the one or more plants selected, as
previously described, is used in a second round or cycle of the
method. In the first round, one or more plants may have been
selected based on biomass. In the second round, one or more plants
may be selected based on production of a particular compound. The
microorganisms isolated from the second round of the method may
then be used in a subsequent round, and so on and so on. Any number
of different selection criteria may be employed in successive
rounds of the method, as desired or appropriate.
[0227] In one embodiment, the selection criteria applied in each
repeat of the method is different. However, in other embodiments of
the invention, the selection criteria applied in each round may be
the same. It could also be the same but applied at differing
intensities with each round. For example, the selection criteria
may be fibre levels and level of fibre required for a plant to be
selected may increase with successive rounds of the method. The
selective criteria may increase or decrease in successive rounds in
a pattern that may be linear, stepped or curvilinear.
[0228] It should also be appreciated that in certain embodiments of
the invention, where one or more microorganism(s) forms an
endophytic or epiphytic relationship with a plant that allows
vertical transmission from one generation or propagule to the next
the microorganisms need not be isolated from the plant(s). At the
conclusion of a method of the invention a target or selected plant
itself may be multiplied by seed or vegetatively (along with the
associated microorganisms) to confer the benefit(s) to "daughter"
plants of the next generation or multiplicative phase. Similarly,
where a successive repeat of the method is desired, plant material
(whole plant, plant tissue, part of the plant) comprising the set
of one or more microorganisms can be used in step a) of the
successive repeat.
[0229] It should further be appreciated that two or more selection
criterion may be applied with each iteration of the method.
[0230] Microorganisms and Compositions Containing Same
[0231] In addition to the methods described herein before, the
invention relates to microorganisms selected, acquired or isolated
by such methods and compositions comprising such microorganisms. In
its simplest form, a composition comprising one or more
microorganisms includes a culture of living microorganism, or
microorganisms in a live but inactive state(s), including frozen,
lyophilised or dried cultures. However, the compositions may
comprise other ingredients, as discussed below.
[0232] The invention should also be understood to comprise methods
for the production of a composition to support plant growth,
quality and/or health or a composition to suppress or inhibit plant
growth, quality and/or health, the method comprising the steps of a
method herein before described and the additional step of combining
the one or more microorganisms with one or more additional
ingredients.
[0233] A "composition to support plant growth, health, and/or
quality" should be taken broadly to include compositions which may
assist the growth, general health and/or survival of a plant, the
condition of a plant, or assist in the maintaining or promoting any
desired characteristic, quality, and/or trait. It should be taken
to include maintaining or altering the production of one or more
metabolite or other compound by a plant as well altering gene
expression and the like. The phrase should not be taken to imply
that the composition is able to support plant growth, quality
and/or health on its own. However, in one embodiment the
compositions are suitable for this purpose. Exemplary compositions
of this aspect of the invention include but are not limited to
plant growth media, plant mineral supplements and micronutrients,
composts, fertilisers, potting mixes, insecticides, fungicides,
media to protect against infection or infestation of pests and
diseases, tissue culture media, seed coatings, hydroponic media,
compositions that impart tolerance to drought or abiotic stress
such as metal toxicity, compositions that modify soil pH.
[0234] A "composition to inhibit or suppress plant growth, health,
and/or quality" should be taken broadly to include compositions
which may assist in suppressing or inhibiting one or more
characteristic, quality and/or trait of a plant, including its
growth, general health and/or survival. It should be taken to
include maintaining or altering the production of one or more
metabolite or other compounds by a plant as well altering gene
expression and the like. The phrase should not be taken to imply
that the composition is able to suppress or inhibit plant growth,
quality and/or health on its own. However, in one embodiment the
compositions are suitable for this purpose. Exemplary compositions
of this aspect of the invention include but are not limited to
plant growth suppression media, weed killer, fertilisers, potting
mixes, plant mineral supplements and micronutrients, composts,
mixes, insecticides, fungicides, tissue culture media, seed
coatings, hydroponic media, compositions that impart tolerance to
drought or abiotic stress such as metal toxicity, compositions that
modify soil pH.
[0235] Skilled persons will readily appreciate the types of
additional ingredients that may be combined with the one or more
microorganisms, having regard to the nature of the composition that
is to be made, the microorganisms to be used, and/or the method of
delivery of the composition to a plant or its environment. However,
by way of example, the ingredients may include liquid and/or solid
carriers, microbial preservatives, microbial activators that induce
specific metabolic activities, additives to prolong microbial life
(such as gels and clays), wettable powders, granulated carriers,
soil, sand, agents known to be of benefit to microbial survival and
the growth and general health of a plant, peat, organic matter,
organic and inorganic fillers, other microorganisms, wetting
agents, organic and inorganic nutrients, and minerals.
[0236] Such compositions can be made using standard methodology
having regard to the nature of the ingredients to be used.
[0237] Compositions developed from the methods of the invention may
be applied to a plant by any number of methods known to those
skilled in the art. These include for example: sprays; dusts;
granules; seed-coating; seed spraying or dusting upon application;
germinating the seed in a bed containing suitable concentrations of
the composition prior to germination and planting out of the
seedlings; prills or granules applied next to the seed or plant
during sowing or planting, or applied to an existing crop through a
process such as direct drilling; application to plant cuttings or
other vegetative propagules by dipping the cut surface or the
propagule into liquid or powdered microbial substrate prior to
planting, application to the soil as a "soil treatment" in the form
of a spray, dust, granules or composted composition that may or may
not be applied with plant fertilisers prior to or after sowing or
planting of the crop; application to a hydroponic growth medium;
inoculation into plant tissues under axenic conditions via
injection of compositions or otherwise inoculated via a cut in such
tissues, for the subsequent establishment of an endophytic
relationship with the plant that extends to the seed, or
propagative tissues, such that the plant can be multiplied via
conventional agronomic practice, along with the endophytic microbe
providing a benefit(s) to the plant.
[0238] In one embodiment, the invention provides a composition
comprising one or more of the microorganisms listed in table 4. In
another embodiment, the invention provides a composition comprising
one or more microorganisms listed in table 3. In another
embodiment, the invention provides a composition comprising one or
more microorganisms listed in table 2.
[0239] Methods of Producing Alternative Compositions
[0240] When microorganisms are cultured they may produce one or
more metabolites and which are passed into the media in which they
reside. Such metabolites may confer beneficial properties to
plants.
[0241] Accordingly, the invention also provides a method for
selecting or producing a composition capable of imparting one or
more beneficial property to a plant, for example to support plant
growth, quality and/or health, or for example to suppress or
inhibit growth, quality and/or health of a plant, or to identify
microorganisms that are capable of producing such a composition. In
one embodiment, the composition is substantially free of
microorganisms.
[0242] In one embodiment, the method is for the selection of a
composition capable of imparting one or more beneficial property to
a plant and comprises at least the steps of: [0243] a) culturing
one or more microorganism selected by a method as herein before
described in one or more media to provide one or more culture;
[0244] b) separating the one or more microorganism from the one or
more media after a period of time to provide one or more
composition substantially free of microorganisms; [0245] c)
subjecting one or more plant (including for example seeds,
seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof) to the one or more
composition from step b); [0246] d) selecting one or more
composition of step c) if it is observed to impart one or more
beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0247] In another embodiment, the method is for the selection of a
composition which is capable of imparting one or more beneficial
property to a plant and comprises the steps of: [0248] a) culturing
one or more microorganisms selected by a method of the first aspect
of the invention in one or more media to form one or more culture;
[0249] b) inactivating the one or more culture of step a) to
provide one or more composition containing one or more inactivated
microorganisms; [0250] c) subjecting one or more plant (including
for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof)
to the one or more composition of step b); [0251] d) selecting one
or more composition from step c) if it is observed to impart one or
more beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0252] In one embodiment the method is for the selection of one or
more microorganisms which are capable of producing a composition
which is capable of imparting one or more beneficial property to a
plant and comprises at least the steps of; [0253] a) culturing one
or more microorganism selected by a method of the first aspect of
the invention in one or more media to provide one or more culture;
[0254] b) separating the one or more microorganism from the one or
more media in the one or more culture from step a) after a period
of time to provide one or more composition substantially free of
microorganisms; [0255] c) subjecting one or more plant (including
for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings, and/or propagules thereof)
to the one or more composition from step b); [0256] d) selecting
the one or more microorganisms associated with (or in other words
used to produce the) one or more composition observed to impart one
or more beneficial property to the one or more plants.
[0257] Another method of the invention comprises at least the steps
of: [0258] a) culturing one or more microorganism in one or more
media to provide one or more culture; [0259] b) separating the one
or more microorganism from the one or more media in the one or more
culture after a period of time to provide one or more composition
substantially free of microorganisms; [0260] c) subjecting one or
more plant (including for example seeds, seedlings, cuttings,
and/or propagules thereof) to the one or more composition of step
b); [0261] d) selecting the one or more microorganisms associated
with (or in other words used to produce the) one or more
composition observed to impart one or more beneficial property to
the one or more plants; and, [0262] e) using the one or more
microorganisms selected in step d) in step a) of a method of the
first or eighth (and/or related) aspects of the invention.
[0263] In one embodiment of the methods of the previous two
paragraphs, step b) of the methods could be substituted with the
step of b) inactivating the one or more culture of step a) to
provide one or more composition containing one or more inactivated
microorganisms, and then using this composition in step c) of the
process.
[0264] As used herein "inactivating" the one or more culture and
"inactivated microorganisms" and like terms should be taken broadly
to mean that the microorganisms are substantially inactivated,
fixed, killed or otherwise destroyed. The term should not be taken
to mean that all microorganisms are inactivated, killed or
destroyed, however, this may be preferable. In one embodiment, the
microorganisms are inactivated, fixed, killed or destroyed to the
extent that self-sustained replication is no longer measurable
using techniques known to one skilled in the art.
[0265] The microorganisms can be inactivated, fixed, killed or
destroyed using any appropriate techniques know in the art.
However, by way of example, one may use chemical agents and/or
physical means to do so. In one embodiment, the cells are lysed. In
another embodiment, cells are fixed by chemical means, so as to
render the organisms non-viable, but retaining their structural
integrity.
[0266] As used herein, a "composition substantially free of
microorganisms" should be taken broadly and not be construed to
mean that no microorganisms are present, although this may be
preferred.
[0267] In certain embodiments of these methods, the microorganisms
are cultured in two or more (preferably a large number, for
example, from at least approximately 10 to up to approximately
1000) mixed cultures using media that can support the growth of a
wide variety of microorganisms. Any appropriate media known in the
art may be used. However, by way of example, growth media may
include TSB (tryptic soy broth), Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, or R2A
broth. In another embodiment, selective or enrichment media which
are able to support the growth of microorganisms with an array of
separate but desirable properties may be used. By way of example,
the enrichment media referred to elsewhere herein may be used.
[0268] The microorganisms may be cultured in the media for any
desired period. Following culture, the microorganisms are separated
from the media and stored for later use. A separate composition
also results. One or more plants in a suitable growth medium are
then subjected to the composition (using any known methodology, or
methodology as described herein before). After a period of time,
growth of plants is assessed and plants selected (as described
herein before, for example). Plants are preferably selected on the
basis of size. However, other selection criteria as referred to
herein may be used.
[0269] In one embodiment, the microorganism(s) producing the subset
of compositions associated with the selected plants are recovered
from storage. Two or more separate cultures of the microorganisms
may then be mixed together and separated into two or more
sub-cultures grown in two or more different media.
[0270] This process can be repeated iteratively as many times as is
deemed efficacious, with progressive steps refining down to fewer
media and a narrower diversity of microorganisms until a desirable
effect on the growth plants is achieved with a mixture of microbes
that can be identified, grown and stored indefinitely as a standard
starting inoculum for the production the composition.
[0271] Compositions of this aspect of the invention may be used or
formulated on their own or combined with one or more additional
ingredients.
[0272] It should be appreciated that the general methodology
described herein before may be applicable to this aspect of the
invention, including but not limited to growth media, plants,
microorganisms, timing, iterative processing, and combinations
thereof.
[0273] Additional Methodology
[0274] The following methodology may be applied to a method of the
invention for identifying one or more microorganisms as herein
before described.
[0275] FIG. 1 shows a system 10 according to an embodiment of the
invention. System 10 includes requestors 11, request processor 12,
growing facility 13, database or library 14 and depository 15.
[0276] FIG. 2 provides a flow chart illustrating a method 20
according to an embodiment of the invention. The steps shown in
FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the system 10 shown in
FIG. 1.
[0277] This aspect of the invention is described in terms of
identifying one or more microorganism that may impart one or more
desired properties to one or more plants, with particular reference
to the first, or eighth (and/or related) aspects of the invention.
However, it should be appreciated that it is equally applicable to
the identification of one or more compositions that may impart one
or more desired property to one or more plant, or one or more
microorganism that produces a composition that may impart one or
more desired property to one or more plant, as herein before
described, and summarised in the seventh (and/or related) and
eighth (and/or related) aspects of the invention. Accordingly,
unless the context requires otherwise, when describing the
embodiments of the invention in this section of the specification,
reference to the first aspect of the invention should be taken to
also include reference to the seventh (and/or related) and eighth
(and/or related) aspects of the invention, and reference to one or
more microorganism should be taken to include reference to one or
more composition.
[0278] The method begins at step 21 with a requestor 11 identifying
a plant (or a class or group of plants). Reasons why particular
plants or types of plants may be identified will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. However, by way of example, it may have
been found that a plant noted in general for having a high growth
rate is growing at lower rates or not at all, there may simply be a
desire to improve on existing growth rates or there may be a desire
to introduce a plant to a different
climate/environment/geographical region. The invention is not
limited to conferring improvements to particular plant(s) and may
be used to inhibit growth or otherwise adversely affect the
plant(s).
[0279] At step 22, the requestor 11 sends the plant and/or the
identity thereof to a request processor 12. The requestor 11 may
provide further relevant information such as why or what properties
they are seeking to improve. While only one request processor 12 is
shown, it will be appreciated that more than one may be provided in
the system 10.
[0280] Where a requestor 11 identifies a class or group of plants,
more than one plant variety may be evaluated. Alternatively or
additionally, selection of a one or more plant variety may be made
elsewhere within the system 10 based on the group or class
identified, including following evaluation of different varieties
including using different microorganisms in accordance with methods
of the invention.
[0281] Requests may conveniently be received over the internet via
a web browser, although the invention is not limited thereto. Use
of a web browser may additionally or alternatively be used to
enable a requestor 11 to view reports on the progress being made in
response to their request. For example, measures of growth may be
provided.
[0282] At step 23, the request processor 12 receives and processes
the request, essentially by initiating the performance of the
method for the selection of one or more microorganism according to
the first aspect of the invention. Note that the request processor
12 may or may not actively perform the method of the first aspect,
or may only perform parts thereof. According to particular
embodiments, the request processor 12 may act as an intermediary or
agent between the requestor 11 and the parties able to perform the
method of the first aspect. Also, different arrangements may be
made in response to different requests. For example, for one
request, the environment around the request processor 12 may be
suitable for evaluating a particular plant but unsuitable for
another, requiring the assistance of a third party facility. This
could be due to a desire to test in a particular soil type,
altitude or climate. Other factors will also be apparent although
it is appreciated that "artificial" environments may be used.
Furthermore, varying degrees of user interaction may take place at
the request processor 12. According to one embodiment, a computer
processor selects parameters or conditions for a study based on
data input by a requestor 11. As will be appreciated, providing a
structured information request may help to effect this, and where
necessary, reference may be made to databases including database
14.
[0283] At step 24, parameters of the evaluation process are
selected. For example, reference may be made to database 14 for
microorganisms that may provide the desired improvement in the
plant(s). While little data to date has been provided in the art on
microorganisms having beneficial associations with particular plant
varieties, this will be improved upon through ongoing operation of
the methods of the invention and stored in database 14. Other
parameters such as plant type(s) and environmental conditions may
also be selected.
[0284] At step 25, the request (or portions thereof) and evaluation
parameters are sent to growing facility 13 which may obtain
suitable microorganisms from depository 15. These may or may not
have been previously identified. While only one growing facility 13
and one depository 15 are shown, it will be appreciated that the
invention is not so limited.
[0285] Furthermore, any two or more of request processor 12,
growing facility 13, database 14 and depository 15 may be
co-located and/or under the same control.
[0286] At step 26, a selection process is performed, preferably
according to the selection method of the first aspect.
[0287] At step 27, a response is sent to the request. A response
may be sent to the requestor 11 and/or to a third party and
preferably includes at least one of at least a subset of the
results generated at step 26, identification of plant(s), plant(s),
identification of microorganism(s), microorganism(s), or plant(s)
provided in association with microorganisms, namely those that have
been shown to provide benefits at step 26.
[0288] At step 28, database 14 may be updated with results of the
selection process of step 26. This step may be performed prior to
step 27, including periodically or at other various stages which
the selection process is conducted. Preferably, at least details of
new beneficial associations between plant(s) and microorganisms are
recorded. It will be appreciated that incompatible or less
beneficial associations will also preferably be recorded, thereby
over time building a knowledge framework of plants and
microorganisms.
[0289] It will be appreciated that one or more of the steps of FIG.
2 may be omitted or repeated. For example, growing facility 13 may
generate results at step 26 and in response thereto, one or more of
steps 21 to 26 may be repeated.
[0290] Thus, the invention provides means and methods to improve
plant(s) (or growth or other characteristics thereof). This is
achieved by enabling a requestor 11 in a first geographical region
(e.g. country) or otherwise defined environment (e.g. by parameters
or characteristics affecting growing conditions such as such soil
salinity or acidity) to access microbiological biodiversity not
present or of limited presence in the first region for the purposes
of plant improvement in the first or another region. The other
region may be or in a foreign country but may be otherwise defined
by characteristics of that environment that affect a plant rather
than being defined by political boundaries. Consequently, the
invention may enable a requestor to obtain the beneficial effects
of a particular microorganism(s) on a particular plant(s) in a
first region, even though such microorganism(s) may not be present
or am of limited presence in the first region.
[0291] An example implementation of the invention is provided
below. [0292] 1. A company in say New Zealand (home company),
enters into a contractual relationship with a second, say overseas,
company (overseas company). [0293] 2. The overseas company agrees
to send seeds, cuttings or other plant propagules (foreign
cultivar) to the home company from plant cultivars adapted to the
environment(s) in its own, or other foreign countries, in order to
gain access to elements of New Zealand's terrestrial and marine
microbial biodiversity that are able to form beneficial
plant-microorganism associations with the foreign cultivar. [0294]
3. The nature of the benefit may encompass increased plant
productivity, for example through any one or more of but not
limited to: increased root or foliar mass, or through an increase
in efficiency in nutrient utilisation through nitrogen fixation by
diazatrophs such as Klebsiella or Rhizobium, or through release of
plant nutrients from the soil, such as phosphates released soil
through the production of microbial phytases, or through
improvements in plant phenotype for example date of flowering, or
changes in physical form e.g. colour, frequency of root or foliar
branching, or changes in chemical profile including compounds
associated with taste, smell or properties which make the plant
suitable for a particular purpose. [0295] 4. In New Zealand, the
home company identifies which indigenous microorganisms can form an
association with the foreign plant by exposing the seed to the
microorganisms, with or without knowledge of their likely effects
on the plant, by the method of germinating the seed and growing the
plant in a growing material that ensures contact of the plant
during its growth with indigenous microorganisms via seed coating,
direct inoculation into the seed or germinating seedling and/or
contamination of the growing medium. The invention is not limited
to this arrangement or methodology. For example, it may be apparent
that microorganisms present in soil other than in New Zealand may
provide benefits and testing may be conducted in such regions in
addition to or instead of New Zealand. Also, artificial
environments may be created. Referring to the immediately prior
example, this may be achieved by obtaining soil and/or
microorganisms from such regions and conducting the tests in say
New Zealand. As will be apparent, such embodiments may include
provision for artificial control of climatic conditions among other
parameters. Thus, the invention is not limited to conducting
testing in a region based on its indigenous microorganisms--the
microorganisms may be artificially introduced so as to conduct the
testing elsewhere than in the microorganisms' natural environment.
[0296] 5. The period of growth and the physical conditions under
which they take place may vary widely according to plant species
and specific plant improvement traits, including based on
parameters desired or specified by the overseas company. After the
relevant period of plant growth the nature of possible
plant-microorganisms associations may be determined by
microbiological assessment to determine whether microorganisms have
formed an endophytic, epiphytic or rhizospheric association with
the foreign crop. [0297] 6. Where such association(s) are
demonstrated the microorganisms form a collection of (say New
Zealand indigenous) microorganisms able to associate with the (say
foreign) crop or plant. [0298] 7. In one embodiment of the
invention, microbial isolates of the collection may, for example,
be coated on to seeds, inoculated into seeds or seedlings; or
inoculated into a growing medium that may or may not be sterile.
[0299] 8. After a suitable period the plants are assessed for
improved root and foliar growth or other desired characteristics
designed to identify the plant-microorganism associations most able
to provide benefit to the plant in the manner desired by the
overseas company. [0300] 9. Examples of selection criteria are
provided herein before, and where identical parameters of the
second, overseas environment are not present in the home or test
region (i.e., New Zealand in the example), similar parameters most
similar to those in the overseas environment and that may be
considered acceptable to the overseas company may be selected. As
mentioned in 4 above, the invention also includes introducing
foreign material or creating otherwise artificial conditions in the
home or test region. [0301] 10. The steps involving growing one or
more plant in the presence of one or more microorganism, selecting
one or more plants with desired characteristics, and acquiring the
microorganism(s) forming an association with the plant will be
repeated one or more time. [0302] 11. Elite microorganisms
providing commercially-significant benefit to the growth of the
foreign cultivar are identified by this process and may be shipped
to the overseas company for further testing and selection in the
foreign environment. [0303] 12. In a further embodiment the
overseas company will agree that microorganisms found on, or in,
the seed, cuttings or propagules of the foreign cultivar will be
added to the collection of the home company to enlarge the
collection for use both on that cultivar or on other foreign
cultivars received for similar testing from other companies.
[0304] In an alternative embodiment, the microbial isolates able to
form plant-microorganism associations with the foreign cultivar
i.e., the collection, are sent to the second company for testing
and selection, such that items 7-11 above are performed by and/or
in the grounds of the second company. This may be performed by or
under the control of the first company.
[0305] As a further alternative, rather than identifying and using
predetermined microorganism(s) of a collection, the home company
may simply expose the seed to indigenous microorganisms, with or
without knowledge of their likely effects on the plant, for example
by germinating the seed and growing the plant in a growing material
that ensures contact of the plant during its growth with indigenous
microorganisms via seed coating, direct inoculation into the seed
or germinating seedling and/or contamination of the growing medium
or otherwise. As will be apparent, the home company may
additionally or alternatively arrange for similar testing in other
regions, where the same or different microorganisms may be present.
The period of growth and the physical conditions under which they
take place may vary widely according to plant species and specific
plant traits desired by the overseas company. After a period of
plant growth the nature of possible plant-microorganism
associations may be determined in a similar manner to that
described above.
EXAMPLES
[0306] The invention is now further described by the following
non-limiting examples.
Example 1
[0307] To Identify Microorganisms Able to Improve the Sugar Content
of Forage Crops Such as Ryegrass:
[0308] Step 1. Untreated ryegrass seeds are planted in a wide
variety of soils in small pots. Soils may include additional
amendments comprising pure cultures of microorganisms, mixtures of
microorganisms or materials containing microorganisms derived from
other sources.
[0309] Step 2. After a suitable period of growth, say 1 month, the
plants are washed out of the soil, and the microorganisms isolated
from roots and stems/foliage, either as individual isolates in pure
culture, or as mixed populations e.g. as a microbial suspension
from an aqueous root crush and/or a stem/foliar crush.
[0310] Step 3. The microorganisms are then added to a plant growth
medium into which untreated ryegrass seeds are planted.
Alternatively, the microorganism(s) are mixed into a suitable seed
coating material e.g, a gel, and coated onto seeds before being
planted into a similar plant medium. Alternatively, the seeds are
geminated and then exposed to the microorganisms for a short period
(usually between 1-24 hours to maximise the chance that the
microbes may form an endophytic or epiphytic association with the
germinating plant) and then planted into a similar growth medium.
In each of these cases the growing medium may be initially sterile,
although this is not essential.
[0311] Step 4. After a period of suitable growth. e.g. 4-6 weeks,
foliar growth is assessed and sugar content of crushed foliage
determined using a refractometer or other method known to a person
skilled in the art. The plants with the highest values for both
foliar yield and/or sugar content are selected, and their root and
foliar microorganisms isolated and prepared as in Step 2. The
process from step 2 to step 3 may then be repeated iteratively,
with or without modification of the selection criteria for sugar
content relative to foliar yield.
[0312] Step 5. After this iterative process has been conducted to
the point at which improvement in the sugar content is deemed to be
sufficient, the best-performing plants are selected and the
microorganisms associated with them are isolated and used to
develop a commercial product that improves sugar content of
ryegrass.
Example 2
[0313] To identify microorganisms able to improve the tillering of
grain crops such as wheat: In the case of winter wheat varieties,
mainly sown in the Northern Hemisphere, it may be important to
select plants that display early tillering after exposure of seed
to a growth medium containing microorganisms under conditions of
light and temperature similar to those experienced by winter wheat
seed in the Northern Hemisphere, since early tillering is a trait
related to winter survival, growth and eventual grain yield in the
summer.
[0314] Step 1. Untreated wheat seeds are planted in a wide variety
of soils or microbial substrates in small pots. Soils may include
additional amendments comprising pure cultures of microorganisms,
mixtures of microorganisms or materials containing microorganisms
that derived from other sources.
[0315] Step 2. After a suitable period of growth, say 1 month, the
plants are washed out of the soil, and the microorganisms isolated
from roots and stems/foliage, either as individual isolates in pure
culture, or as mixed populations e.g. as a microbial suspension
from an aqueous root crush and/or a stem/foliar crush.
[0316] Step 3. The microorganisms are then added to a plant growth
medium into which untreated wheat seeds are planted. Alternatively,
the microorganism(s) are mixed into a suitable seed coating
material e.g. a gel, and coated onto seeds before being planted
into a similar plant medium. Alternatively, the seeds are geminated
and then exposed to the microorganisms for a short period (usually
between 1-24 hours to maximise the chance that the microbes may
form an endophytic or epiphytic association with the germinating
plant) and then planted into a similar growth medium. In each of
these cases the growing medium may be initially sterile, although
this is not essential.
[0317] Step 4. Tillering is assessed after a suitable period of
growth. Plants with the first tillers and/or the greatest number of
tillers over a specific time period are selected, and their root
and foliar microorganisms isolated and prepared as in Step 2. The
process from step 2 to step 3 may then be repeated iteratively,
with or without modification of the selection criteria for
tillering relative to eventual grain yield.
[0318] Step 5. After this iterative process has been conducted to
the point at which improvement in tillering is deemed to be
sufficient, the best-performing plants are selected and the
microorganisms associated with them are isolated and used to
develop a commercial product that improves the speed and degree of
wheat tillering.
Example 3
[0319] Use of Process to Select Seed-Borne Endophytes Conveying a
Beneficial Crop Trait
[0320] Forage grasses expressing beneficial traits such as
insect-resistance and improved tolerance to both biotic and abiotic
stressors via strains of the seed-borne fungus Neotyphodium sp.
have been widely adopted by farmers in New Zealand and elsewhere.
It would be desirable to extend the benefits of traits similar to
those expressed by this seed-borne fungus and other similar species
in the fungal family, to a broader range seed-borne endophytic
microbes thereby providing access to a much wider range of
beneficial crop traits.
[0321] Step 1. Untreated ryegrass seeds are planted in a wide
variety of soils in small pots. Soils may include additional
amendments comprising pure cultures of microorganisms, mixtures of
microorganisms or materials containing microorganisms that derived
from other sources.
[0322] Step 2. After a suitable period of growth, the plants am
washed out of the soil, surface sterilised with a combination of
ethanol and sodium hypochlorite or other methods known to people
skilled in the art, and the endophytic microorganisms (endophytes)
isolated from internal tissues of roots and stems/foliage and
seeds, either as individual isolates in pure culture, or as mixed
populations e.g. as a microbial suspension from an aqueous root
crush and/or a stem/foliar crush.
[0323] Step 3. The endophytic microorganisms are then added to a
plant growth medium into which pre-germinated surface-sterilised
ryegrass seeds are planted (seeds checked for sterility by
germinating on nutrient agar plates). Alternatively, the
microorganism(s) are mixed into a suitable seed coating material
e.g. a gel, and coated onto surface-sterilised seeds before being
planted into a similar plant medium. Alternatively, the
surface-sterilised seeds are geminated on nutrient agar plates,
checked for sterility and then exposed to the microorganisms for a
short period (usually between 1-24 hours to maximise the chance
that the microbes may form an endophytic or epiphytic association
with the germinating plant) and then planted into a similar growth
medium. In each of these cases the growing medium may be initially
sterile, although this is not essential and further microorganisms
may be applied to the growth medium and/or plant.
[0324] Step 4). After a period of suitable growth, e.g. 4-6 weeks,
plants are assessed for expression of the desired phenotype.
Phenotypes may include improved colour, plant form, metabolite
expression, or the like.
[0325] Step 5). Selected plants are permitted to grow onward to the
point of seed set. At this stage a subset of seeds from each plant
may be screened for endophyte carriage using culture dependent or
independent methods. The remaining seeds from plants yielding
positive results in the screen are germinated and planted without
microbial addition in a further round of selection to enrich for
endophyte carriage and the ability to transmit the desired
phenotype as described in steps 3-5.
[0326] Alternatively, endophytic microbes may be acquired from a
subset of seeds from each plant either as isolates from surface
sterilised seeds or as explants, or as a microbial suspension
prepared, for example, by crushing the surface sterilised seed in
aqueous solution. Isolates and preparations are used as an inoculum
for plants arising from surface sterilised seeds as described in
step 3.
[0327] In a further variation of the method, the selection for seed
transmission of the trait may take place in the following
generation by surface sterilising a subset of seeds (with or
without prior screening) from the selected plants of the prior
generation and allowing them to germinate and grow on for the
period at which point phenotypic screening is conducted as
generally described in steps 3 and 4 (i.e. prior to seed set).
Plants exhibiting the desired phenotype in this generation (i.e. by
seed transmission), are selected and either tissue explants are
prepared, and/or microbes isolated from plant tissues, and/or crude
microbial suspensions made by crushing the surface foliage or roots
in an aqueous solution. One or a combination of these preparations
are used as an inoculum for further iterative rounds of growth and
selection and seed harvest, as described in steps 3-5.
Alternatively, the remaining seeds of plants exhibiting the desired
seed-borne trait may be germinated and planted without microbial
addition in a further round of selection to enrich for endophyte
carriage and the ability to transmit the desired phenotype as
described in steps 3-5.
[0328] Step 6). At the end of successive rounds of this iterative
process, as determined by the generation of a desired seed-borne
phenotype, the best seed lines are selected for commercial
assessment and cultivar development.
Example 4
[0329] Use of Process to Acquire Microbes Capable of Improving the
Growth of Ryegrass (Lolium perenne).
[0330] Ryegrass is often grown in fertile soil and is an important
crop in forage production. It would be desirable therefore to use
the process of directed selection to identify a group of microbes
that are able to increase the biomass of ryegrass in a fertile
substrate without experimentally-imposed selection pressures.
[0331] Seventy-three soil samples (treatments) from the North
Island of New Zealand were used as a source of microbial diversity
for the start of the process. Soil samples were mixed with
sand:vermiculite (1:1 or 1:2) as required to increase drainage and
volume. Samples were placed in ten replicate 28 ml tubes and
planted with ryegrass seeds (Lolium perenne cultivar One50, nil
endophyte). Seeds were watered with a misting hose until
germinated, then showered to saturation three times weekly with
additional watering as required to prevent seedlings drying out.
For standard growing conditions see Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Standard growing conditions Variable
Conditions Watering Three times each week to saturation with water
or synthetic fertilizer Temperature Constant 22-24.degree. C.
Daylight period 16 hr followed by 8 hr darkness Seed sterilization
15 min in 1-2% sodium hypochlorite followed by 30 min quenching in
sodium thiosulphate as described by Miche and Balandreau (2001)
Volume of soil/replicate 28 ml Randomisation All treatment
replicates and controls were spatially randomised
[0332] Round 1 Selection
[0333] Sixty days after sowing (DAS) four plants from each sample
were selected and processed to provide the microbial inoculum for
the first round of selection. Foliage was cut 2 cm above the
substrate and discarded. The roots and attached stems were shaken
free of soil, washed to remove most soil fragments and drained
before the roots and stems were combined in plastic bags. This
material was then crushed within the bag with 10 mls of water added
to suspend the root material. The liquid portion of the resulting
suspension was used as the initial microbial inoculum.
Surface-sterilised seeds were soaked for one hour in 1 ml of the
root suspension for each sample. Soaked seeds were then planted
into 28 ml tubes (15 reps for each treatment) containing potting
mix (Kings Plant Barn. New Zealand; granulated bark, peat moss,
pumice, and slow-release fertilisers) moistened with tap water. The
remaining root suspension was made up to a sufficient final volume
with SDW and 2 ml was pipetted over the planted seeds. After
planting, the seeds were thinly covered with fresh dry substrate.
Pots were subsequently watered with tap water 3 times weekly.
[0334] Round 2 Selection
[0335] At 118 DAS the foliage was harvested, weighed and treatments
selected to provide microbial inoculum for the second round of
selection. Only the 8 largest plants from each of the 21 treatments
with the greatest mean foliar weight of the original 73 treatments
were chosen for processing. In addition four composite treatments
of four plants each were created from the sixteen individual plants
with the greatest foliar biomass. Foliage was cut 2 cm above
substrate level and weighed. The roots and basal stems of each
plant were shaken free of substrate then rinsed, combined in
plastic bags, crushed and used to inoculate the second round of
selection in the same way as described for selection round 1, with
the exception that 30 replicates were planted for each treatment
and the final volume of inoculum was 65 mls.
[0336] Round 3 Selection
[0337] Plants from the second round of selection were harvested at
39 DAS. Foliage was cut 2 cm above substrate, weighed and
discarded. The three largest plants from the top 15 treatments were
selected to create the inoculum for selection round 3. Roots and
stems were crushed as described above and used for 30 replicates of
each treatment.
[0338] Microbial Isolation
[0339] Foliage from round 3 selection was harvested and weighed at
63 DAS and the largest plants from the five treatments with the
greatest mean foliar weights were selected to provide inoculum for
microbial isolations. The roots and 2 cm stems were rinsed and then
crushed in plastic bags as described previously. A small volume of
the inoculum was drawn off to make a ten-fold dilution series
plated on R2A. Pieces of crushed root from each of the preparations
were also inoculated into 10 ml N-deficient semi-solid malate
(NDSM) medium (Eckford et al, 2002. After 2-4 days incubation at
room temperature the resulting pellicles were drawn off and spread
onto R2A agar for isolation of individual colonies. A selective
isolation step for actinomycetes was performed in which ethanol was
added to the root suspension at a final concentration of 25%,
incubated at room temperature (RT) for 30 min then plated on R2A.
For fungal isolations, pieces of crushed root were embedded in
molten PDA (cooled to 45.degree. C.). After 24-72 hr incubation at
25.degree. C. R2A and PDA plates were examined under a dissecting
microscope. Bacterial and fungal colonies were assessed for
abundance, grouped according to morphology and representative
isolates were picked and streaked onto fresh R2A or PDA plates,
Standard methods were used to identify isolates to species level by
DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes
(bacteria) or ITSS region (fungi).
[0340] Microbial Evaluation
[0341] Microbial evaluation was performed on 61 individual isolates
and 28 consortia chosen on the basis of abundance, diversity and
species characteristics. Selected isolates were spread on R2A
(bacteria) or PDA (fungi), incubated at 25.degree. C. for 72 hours
then scraped off the agar surface with added SDW into sterile
containers. Bacteria were harvested into 2 ml SDW. Fungi were
sieved through a sterile tea strainer with 5-10 ml SDW to remove
clumps of mycelia and pieces of attached agar. Serial dilutions of
the harvested cells were plated and incubated at 25.degree. C. for
24 hours to estimate the number of colony forming units (CFU) in
each suspension. Dilution volumes corresponding to 1.times.10.sup.7
(bacteria) and 1.times.10.sup.3 (fungi) CFU per mil were calculated
from these plate counts. Ryegrass seeds (One50 nil endophyte) were
soaked for one hour in microbe suspensions then individually
planted in 28 ml tubes containing moistened potting mix. Two
millilitres of isolate suspension was pipetted over the seeds which
were then covered with substrate. All plants were subsequently
watered with tap water 3 times weekly. Foliage was cut and weighed
at 41 DAS. Roots were washed, blotted dry and weighed. The
microbial treatments that resulted in plant biomass gains of at
least 5% over the microbe-free controls are shown in Table 2.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Microbial treatments associated with
increased ryegrass biomass Treatment % IOC % IOC % IOC BDNZ# FW RW
BM ID 58918 22.9 25.4 21.5 Microbacterium ginsengiterrae 58900 25.3
7.7 21.3 Bacillus cereus 58913 21.5 16.6 20.4 Microbacterium
oxydans Consortium 18.9 5.1 15.8 Rhizobium pusense, Curtobacterium
ginsengisoli 59084 21.8 -7.4 15.2 Penicillium daleae 58894 13.3 4.3
11.3 Brevundimonas vesicularis 58910 13.6 2.3 11.1 Aeromicrobium
ponti 58895 11.2 5.5 9.9 Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans 58911
8.9 5.3 8.1 Shingopyxis chilensis 58950 7.8 8.4 7.9 Arthrobacter
keyser 59088 13.6 -14.6 7.3 Penicillium melinii 58892 8.4 0.4 6.6
Rhizobium grahamii 58948 8.6 -2.2 6.2 Brevundimonas vesicularis
Consortium 5.1 9.7 6.2 Rhizobium pusense, Curtobacterium
ginsengisoli Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans 58891 6.7 -0.2 5.1
Rhisobium etli Consortium 4.9 5.6 5.0 Exiguobacterium indicum,
Mesorhizobium amorphae, Brevundimonas vesicularis, Arthrobacter
keyser FW = fresh foliar weight; RW = fresh root weight; BM = plant
biomass (roots + foliage) Italics indicate a significant IOC
(increase over controls; Fisher's LSD) ID Putative identification
based on closest sequence match in RDPII and/or NCBI databases
[0342] The three microbial treatments that resulted in a
significant increase in foliar weights (Fisher's LSD) were all
isolated from the site that produced the greatest increase in
foliar weight in the third selection round.
[0343] These results provide evidence that the method for directed
selection of microbes described by the present invention is capable
of identifying a set of microbes that significantly improve the
growth of ryegrass grown under favourable conditions.
Example 5
[0344] Use of Process to Identify Microbes Able to Improve the
Water-Soluble Carbohydrate Content of Basil (Ocium basilicum).
[0345] Soil samples from 43 sites in the North Island of New
Zealand were used as a source of microbial diversity for this
process.
[0346] Samples were mixed with sand:vermiculite (1:2) as required
to increase drainage and volume. Each sample was used to fill five
replicate 28 ml tubes which were planted with 3-5 basil seeds
(Ocium basilicum, variety Sweet Genovese) per tube. Seedlings were
germinated in a plant growth room under conditions described in
Table 1. Watering was carried out with tap water as required to
prevent wilting.
[0347] Approximately 14 DAS the plants were harvested and the
foliage cut and discarded. For each sample the basal stems and
roots were shaken free of soil, rinsed in sterile distilled water
(SDW) and the replicates combined in a plastic bag. The plant
material was then crushed thoroughly within the plastic bags. 10 ml
SDW was added to the crushed roots and the resulting suspension
used as the microbial inoculum for the first selection round.
[0348] Basil seeds were soaked for a minimum of one hour in the
root extract then planted into 28 ml tubes containing potting mix
(40% v/v peat, 30% composted pine bark, 30% fine pumice, adjusted
to pH 6.1 with lime) moistened with 6 ml of liquid fertiliser
(Miracle-Gro, Scotts Australia Pty Ltd). The remaining root
suspension was diluted with 40 ml of SDW and 2 ml was pipetted over
the seeds. Ten replicate tubes were prepared for each sample
alongside a set of 20 no-microbe controls that were prepared using
seeds soaked in sterile distilled water. All tubes were randomised
across racks. Seedlings were germinated in a plant growth room
under conditions described above. After germination each tube was
weeded to leave one randomly selected seedling.
[0349] Round 1 Selection
[0350] At 20 DAS half of the plants from each treatment were
randomly selected for harvest. The remainder of the plants were
retained in the growth room for preparation of extracts to
inoculate the second round of selection. Plants selected for
harvest were removed from the pots, washed to remove adherent
potting mix, dried on paper towels and weighed before being placed
into a 2 ml tube containing a single stainless steel ball bearing.
Samples were then frozen at -20.degree. C. pending analysis for
water soluble carbohydrate.
[0351] The concentration of water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) in
plant extracts was determined using the anthrone method as
generally described by Yemm and Willis (Biochem. J. 1954, 57:
508-514). Whole-plant extracts were prepared by bead beating for 2
minutes at 22 hz. One mL, of sterile distilled water was then added
to each sample. After mixing, 0.5 mL of the liquid suspension was
transferred a 96-well microtube block which was placed in a boiling
water bath for 30 minutes. Each block was then transferred to a
cold water bath for five minutes followed by centrifugation at 3000
ref for 10 minutes to pellet debris. Supernatants were recovered,
diluted 1:25 in SDW, and 40 .mu.L samples transferred to new
96-well microtube blocks. Samples were then overlaid with 200 .mu.L
of freshly-prepared anthrone solution (2 mg/mL in 70% sulphuric
acid). Blocks were cooled for 5 minutes in an ice-cold water bath,
mixed by inversion, placed in a boiling water bath for 60 seconds,
then immediately returned to the cold water bath. Once cooled, a
100 ul sample of each reaction was transferred to a flat-bottomed
microtitre tray and the absorption measured at 600 nm on a
SpectraMax M5e spectrophotometer. Glucose standards were prepared
in ultra-pure water and processed as per plant extracts to generate
a calibration curve. Results are reported in glucose equivalents
(mg) per gram of plant tissue.
[0352] Twenty of the 43 treatments yielded a positive increase in
median sugar content over the no-microbe control.
[0353] Round 2 Selection
[0354] The 13 treatments yielding the greatest median sugar content
were selected for the second selection round. Microbial extracts
were prepared from the remaining 5 plants in each treatment and
applied to basil seeds according to the procedure described above
with the exception that the number of replicates was increased to
30 for each treatment and 60 for no-microbe controls.
[0355] Fifteen days after sowing (DAS) 15 of the plants from each
treatment were harvested. The remainder of the plants were retained
in the growth room for subsequent isolation experiments. Plants
selected for harvest were removed from pots and processed for
analysis of water soluble carbohydrate as described previously,
with the exception that the anthrone solution was prepared in 80%
sulphuric acid to reduce formation of precipitates.
[0356] Eight of the 13 treatments yielded a positive increase in
median sugar content over the no-microbe control. At this point the
rounds of iterative selection were concluded and microbial
isolations were performed.
[0357] Microbial Isolation
[0358] Bacteria and fungi were isolated from up to five of the
remaining plants from each of the seven treatments with the
greatest median WSC. For each treatment, the roots and lower 1 cm
of stem material from each plant were shaken free of substrate and
rinsed in sterile distilled water then divided into two portions.
One portion was surface sterilized in 6.6% Dettol.RTM. (active
ingredient: chloroxylenol 4.8%) for 1 minute followed by 3 rinses
in SDW for 1 min each. The surface sterilized roots were cut into
pieces (about 1-2 cm long) using sterile scissors and dropped into
test tube containing NDSM medium (Eckford et al., 2002). After 2-4
days incubation at room temperature the tubes were observed and
obvious pellicles drawn off and purified by subculture on R2A agar
(Difco).
[0359] The roots from one portion were combined in a plastic bag
and crushed within the bag with 10 mls of water added to suspend
the mot material. Pieces of crushed root were retrieved and either
placed on PDA plates, or embedded in molten PDA at 45.degree. C.
Ten-fold serial dilutions of the suspension were prepared in SDW
and used to prepare spread plates on R2A agar (Difco). R2A and PDA
plates were incubated at 25.degree. C. and examined under a
dissecting microscope after 24-72 hours incubation. Colonies were
assessed for abundance, grouped according to morphology and
representative isolates were picked and streaked for purity onto
fresh R2A or PDA plates. Standard methods were used to identify
isolates to species level by DNA extraction, PCR amplification and
sequencing of 16S rDNA (bacteria) or ITSS region (fungi).
[0360] Microbial Evaluation
[0361] Two rounds of microbial evaluation were performed on
isolates selected on the basis of abundance, diversity and species
characteristics. In the first evaluation round, 80 treatments were
tested comprising 68 individual isolates and 12 consortia.
[0362] Selected bacterial and fungal isolates were cultured on R2A
and PDA plates respectively and suspensions prepared in SDW for
inoculation of seeds as generally described in example 4.
[0363] The suspensions were diluted to 1.times.10.sup.7 (bacteria)
and 1.times.10.sup.3 (fungi) per ml for use as individual
treatments. Consortia were prepared using equal volumes of each
individual microbial suspension. Basil seeds were soaked for one
hour in microbial suspensions then planted into 28 ml tubes
containing commercial potting mix (described in example 4) that had
been moistened with 6 ml of tap water. Two ml of microbial
suspension was pipetted over the top of each seed. Thirty
replicates were prepared for each treatment and 45 replicates were
prepared for the no-microbe control.
[0364] Thirteen DAS 15 plants from each treatment and 22 no-microbe
controls were selected for harvest and WSC determination. Sample
preparation was performed as described previously with the
exception that after bead beating, 0.8 ml of SDW was added to each
tube and a second round of bead beating was performed. A 0.5 mL
sample of the resulting mixed suspension was then transferred to a
96-well microtube dilution block and stored at -20.degree. C.
Blocks were thawed and assayed for carbohydrate as previously
described.
[0365] A total of 36 microbial treatments yielded median
carbohydrate concentrations greater than microbe-free controls.
This data was used to generate a refined set of 44 treatments
comprising 34 individual isolates and 10 consortia for a second
round of microbial evaluation. Treatments were selected on the
basis of results for increased WSC and included individual isolates
that performed well in consortia, as well as new consortia prepared
from highly ranked microbes.
[0366] Microbial treatments were prepared and the basil seed was
soaked and planted as described above with the exception that the
number of treatment replicates was increased to 45 and no-microbe
controls increased to 90.
[0367] All plants were harvested 14 days after sowing and processed
for WSC analysis as described above, with the exception that blocks
were frozen overnight after the first 30 minute heating step.
Samples were then thawed and processed as previously described. A
dilution series of a single basil sample was loaded onto all blocks
to serve as an internal control and enable normalisation of
between-block variation.
[0368] A total of 20 microbial treatments yielded median WSC
concentrations greater than microbe-free controls with 11
treatments yielding greater than 5% increases over the control
(IOC; Table 3). The treatment yielding the highest median
carbohydrate concentration was a new consortium of the three
top-ranking individual isolates from the first round of microbial
evaluation.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Microbial treatments yielding carbohydrate
concentrations greater than microbe-free controls in round 2
microbial evaluation. Treatment BDNZ# ID % IOC 60706, 60784, 61090
Sphingomonos mali, 14.0 Flavobacterium micromoti, Penicillium sp.
60695, 60696, 60697, Sphingobium chlorophenolicum, 12.4 60698,
60690, 60700 Massilia niastensis, Flovobacterium limicala,
Rhizobium olamii, Sphingopyxis sp., Pelomonas aquatica 60587
Azospirillum lipoferum 11.4 60732, 60739, 60740, Mesorhizobium
amorphae, Asticcacoulis 10.6 60744, 61082 lathuensis, Ralstonia
salanacearum, Microbacterium foliorum, Trichoderma 60805
Burkholderia megapolitana 10.2 60732 Mesarhizoblum amarphae 7.9
61043 Umbelopsis sp 7.5 60734 Aquabacterium fontiphilum 7.2 60797
Rhodanobacter terrae 7.1 60706 Sphingamonas mali 7.1 60578, 60580,
60695, Sphingabium xenophagum, Pseudomonas 5.0 60692, 61043
maraviensis, Massilia niastensis, Flavobacterium limicata,
Umbelopsis sp. No-microbe control 0.0
[0369] These results provide evidence that the method for directed
selection of microbes described by the present invention is capable
of producing a set of microbes that improve the production of water
soluble carbohydrate in basil.
Example 6
[0370] Identification of Endophytic Microbes that Improve the
Growth of Maize (Zea mays).
[0371] Endophytic microbes are closely associated with or contained
within plant tissues, therefore may be less exposed to competition
and stressors than microbes associated with the plant rhizosphere.
It would be desirable to create a group of endophytic microbes that
are capable of promoting maize growth by means such as increasing
plant biomass or grain yield. In this example an endophytic microbe
is defined as one that is still viable after surface sterilisation
of maize plant tissues with 6.6% Dettol.RTM. (active ingredient:
chloroxylenol 4.8%) for 1 minute.
[0372] Seventy-three soil samples from the North Island of New
Zealand were used as the source of microbial diversity. Soil
samples (treatments) were mixed with sterile sand:vermiculite (1:1
or 1:2) as required to increase drainage and volume. The resulting
mixtures were placed in 28 ml tubes and planted with 15 replicates
of maize (Pioneer Zea mays hybrid seeds 37Y12) in each treatment.
Seedlings were watered with a misting hose until germinated, then
showered to saturation three times weekly with additional watering
as required. For remaining standard growing conditions see Table
1.
[0373] Three plants from each treatment were selected at 60 days
after sowing (DAS). The stems of the maize plants were cut 5 cm
above the soil and discarded. The roots and attached stems were
shaken free of soil, washed to remove soil fragments and drained
before the roots and stems were combined in plastic bags. This
material was then crushed within the bag with 10 ml of water added
to suspend the root material. The liquid portion of the resulting
suspension was used as the microbial inoculum for a non-selective
enrichment round. The purpose of this extra round was to increase
the abundance of microbes growing within maize tissues.
Surface-sterilised maize (37Y12) seeds were soaked for one hour in
1 ml of the root suspension for each sample. Soaked seeds were then
planted into 28 ml tubes (15 reps for each treatment) containing
sterile sand and vermiculite 1:2 moistened with 6 ml
Phostrogen.RTM. soluble plant food (diluted 1/450 v/v in sterile
distilled water). The remaining root suspension was made up to a
final volume of 40 ml using sterile distilled water (SDW) and 2 ml
was pipetted over the planted seeds.
[0374] Round 1 Selection
[0375] Sixty days after sowing (DAS) the five largest plants in
each treatment were selected and processed to provide the microbial
inoculum for the first round of selection. The foliage of each of
the selected plants was cut 5 cm above substrate level and
discarded. The remaining basal stem and rots were washed thoroughly
in tap water to remove any adherent soil and then combined within
treatments in plastic bags before being surface sterilised with
6:6% Dettol.RTM. for 1 minute to select for endophytic microbes.
Roots were then rinsed 3 times in SDW for 1, 5 then 10 minutes with
agitation. Rinsed roots were crushed within the plastic bags as
described above, and suspended in a final volume of 20 ml SDW. The
resulting suspension was used to inoculate 15 surface-sterilised
maize seeds (Pioneer Zea mays P9400) by soaking them for one hour
in 10 ml of the inoculum before they were planted into sterile
sand:vermiculite 1:3 moistened with sterile synthetic fertiliser
(Fahraeus, 1957). The remaining suspension was made up to a final
volume of 40 mil for each treatment and 2 ml was pipetted over the
top of each planted seed. Thirty replicate tubes of microbe-free
control seeds were soaked in SDW and pipetted with 2 mls of water
per tube in a duplicate process free of microbial inoculum. After
planting the seeds were covered with fresh dry substrate. Pots were
watered with SDW for the first week after planting to maintain
sterile conditions, then with tap water three times weekly.
[0376] Round 2 Selection
[0377] Plants were harvested at 26 DAS. Foliage was cut and weighed
as described above. The remaining basal stem and roots of each
plant were rinsed clean, blotted dry with fresh paper towels then
weighed and bagged individually. The inoculum for the second round
of selection was prepared from the 20 treatments yielding the
greatest mean biomass and the five largest individual plants from
all treatments. The roots and basal stems of the 10 largest plants
from each selected treatment were pooled, surface sterilised and
crushed as described above. The five largest individual plants were
processed individually as above. Thirty replicates (Pioneer P9400
seeds) were planted for each of the 25 treatments in sterile
sand:vermiculite 1:3 moistened with sterile synthetic
fertiliser.
[0378] Round 3 Selection
[0379] Plants were harvested at 26 DAS and processed as described
previously. The six largest plants from the 7 treatments yielding
the greatest mean biomass were selected to create the inoculum for
the third round of selection. Plants were grown for 28 days,
harvested and assessed as described for previous rounds. The roots
and basal stems of the three largest plants from the top three
treatments were pooled, and the two largest plants in the
experiment were selected individually to provide inoculum for
microbial isolation.
[0380] Microbial Isolation
[0381] Microbial isolations were performed on root suspensions used
to inoculate the R3 selection and on the suspensions prepared from
the R3 plants selected above. Bacterial and fungal isolations were
performed as generally described above using R2A, PDA and NDSM
media. A selective isolation step for actinomycetes was performed
in which ethanol was added to the root suspension at a final
concentration of 25%, incubated at RT for 30 min then plated on
R2A. Plates were examined after 1-7 days incubation at 25.degree.
C. Colonies were assessed for abundance, grouped according to
morphology and representative isolates were picked and subcultured
on to R2A. Standard methods were used to identify isolates to
species level by DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing
of 16S rRNA gene (bacteria) or ITSS regions (fungi).
[0382] Microbial Evaluation Rounds
[0383] Two rounds of microbial evaluation were performed. In the
first evaluation round 79 strains were selected based on abundance,
diversity and species characteristics. Bacterial isolates were
prepared and used to inoculate surface-sterilised seeds as
described in example 4, with the exception that maize seeds (P9400)
were used. Fungal strains were plated on PDA, incubated at
25.degree. C. for 7 days then scraped off plates with 5-10 ml SDW
and sieved through a tea strainer to remove clumps of mycelia and
pieces of attached agar. The number of spores/hyphae was determined
using a Neubauer improved haemocytometer and compound microscope
and a dilution series of 5.times.10.sup.2, 1.times.10.sup.3 and
2.times.10.sup.3 was prepared. Each dilution was then pipetted over
10 planted seeds thereby totaling 30 seeds per replicate each at 3
dose levels. For both fungi and bacteria, surface-sterilised maize
seeds (Pioneer P9400) were planted in 28 ml tubes containing
sterile potting mix (40% peat, 30% composted pine bark, 30% fine
pumice, adjusted to pH 6.1 with lime) moistened with Fahraeus
solution (Fahraeus, 1957) before being covered with fresh dry
substrate. All plants were subsequently watered with tap water 3
times weekly.
[0384] Plants were harvested 24 DAS and both foliage and roots were
weighed. Microbial isolates yielding an average increase in foliar
and/or root weight over microbe-free controls were selected for a
second round of evaluation. The chosen strains were processed and
planted as described above, with the exception that seeds were
soaked and inoculated with fungal strains at a concentration of
1.times.10.sup.3 rather than three dilutions and 15 replicates were
planted for all strains. Foliage and roots were harvested and
weighed at 20 DAS. The results are shown in Table 4. Four of the
isolates resulted in significantly higher biomass than the
microbe-free controls.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Endophytic microbes producing increased
maize biomass % IOC % IOC % IOC BDNZ# Count FW RW BM ID 57119 12
13.1 9.9 11.8 Herbaspirillum frisingense 57583 14 14.3 5.1 10.6
Acinetobacter sp. 57122 15 9.6 12.2 10.6 Xanthomonas translucens
57115 14 14.4 3.9 10.2 Pseudomonas marginalis 57535 12 10.7 8.9
10.0 Herbiconiux ginsengi 57148 12 10.0 9.8 9.9 Burkholderia
cepacia 57531 14 6.4 14.7 9.7 Microbacterium oxydans 57150 14 11.8
6.1 9.5 Pseudomonas moraviensis 57597 15 9.5 8.6 9.1 Azotobacter
chroococcum 57155 14 7.8 10.6 8.9 Pseudomonas frederiksbergensis
57154 15 6.6 8.4 7.3 Sphingomonas rosa 57602 14 6.2 8.6 7.2
Rhizobium endophyticum 57619 15 8.5 4.8 7.0 Bacillus thioparans
57127 15 4.0 11.0 6.8 Terriglobus roseus 57612 15 8.2 3.9 6.5
Novosphingobium rosa 58016 14 4.7 8.6 6.2 Azospirillum lipoferum
57565 12 5.6 5.1 5.4 Streptomyces thermocarboxydus 57613 15 7.3 1.6
5.0 Herbaspirillum frisingense Italics indicate a significant
difference from microbe-free control(Fisher's LSD); % IOC,
percentage increase over controls Putative ID based on closest
match in RDPII database to partial 16S rRNA sequence
[0385] These results provide evidence that the method for directed
selection of microbes described by the present invention is capable
of producing a set of endophytic microbes that improve the growth
of maize.
[0386] The invention has been described herein, with reference to
certain preferred embodiments, in order to enable the reader to
practice the invention without undue experimentation. However, a
person having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognise that
many of the components and parameters may be varied or modified to
a certain extent or substituted for known equivalents without
departing from the scope of the invention. It should be appreciated
that such modifications and equivalents are herein incorporated as
if individually set forth. In addition, titles, headings, or the
like are provided to enhance the reader's comprehension of this
document, and should not be read as limiting the scope of the
present invention.
[0387] The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and
publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby
incorporated by reference. However, the reference to any
applications, patents and publications in this specification is
not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of
suggestion that they constitute valid prior art or form part of the
common general knowledge in any country in the world.
[0388] Throughout this specification and any claims which follow,
unless the context requires otherwise, the words "comprise",
"comprising" and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive
sense as opposed to an exclusive sense, that is to say, in the
sense of "including, but not limited to".
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[0389] Pikovskaya R I (1948). Mobilization of phosphorus in soil
connection with the vital activity of some microbial species.
Microbiologia 17:362-370 [0390] Miche, Land Balandreau, J (2001).
Effects of rice seed surface sterilisation with hypochlorite on
inoculated Burkholderia vietamiensis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
67(7): p 3046-3052 [0391] Fahraeus. G. (1957). J. Gen Microbiol.
16: 374-381 [0392] Ruth Eckford, R., Cook, F. D., Saul, D.,
Aislabie J., and J. Foght (2002) Free-living Heterotrophic Bacteria
Isolated from Fuel-Contaminated Antarctic Soils. Appl. Environ.
Microbiol 68(10):5181 [0393] Yemm and Willis (Biochem. J. 1954, 57:
508-514)
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